Buprenorphine TDS: use in daily practice, benefits for patients

In Germany and many other countries, buprenorphine has been used for a long time for the management of pain in both cancer and non-cancer patients. Although a transdermal delivery system for buprenorphine (Transtec) has recently been introduced, the clinical experience in daily practice with this drug, delivered in a matrix patch, is only now being evaluated. In preliminary data from a survey of 3,255 patients with chronic pain, 26% had cancer pain, while the most common diagnoses of the other respondents included back pain (33%), osteoarthritis (22%), osteoporosis (17%), and neuropathic pain (10%, multiple entries). Before being switched to the buprenorphine patch, most patients had been pretreated with World Health Organization (WHO) Step II opioids (47%) or WHO Step III opioids (18%), including tramadol (in 35% of patients) and a tilidin/naloxone combination (15%); 9% had not been prescribed any opioids in advance of receiving transdermal buprenorphine. Most patients (77%) in the survey had been started on the lowest dose of the buprenorphine patch (35 microg/h), and nearly half (49%) were placed on adjuvant analgesics, including tramadol or tilidin/naloxone. Pain relief was rated as good or very good by 81% of the respondents. Adverse effects were similar to those seen on other opioids, although their intensity was mild in most cases. Local side effects, including erythema (4% of cases) and pruritus (1%), were transitory. Based on the survey results, transdermal buprenorphine is considered an effective opioid treatment for patients with stable cancer and non-cancer pain; it may prove particularly useful in patients who have experienced side effects taking oral analgesic preparations, as well as in those who are taking extensive co-medications.