Patient Experiences with Compounded Topical Pain Creams

Topical pain therapy offers several potential advantages as an alternative or adjunct to oral analgesic therapy, including decrease in concurrent oral drug use, lower abuse potential, lower side effects and toxicity, and localized effects. A variety of drugs and cream bases designed to promote transdermal delivery allow for unlimited customization of compounded topical pain creams (CTPC) for specific patients. The purpose of this study was to understand why patients begin CTPC therapy, their perceptions of CTPC therapy, and their level of satisfaction with CTPC therapy. A self-administered survey was distributed to patients receiving a compounded prescription. There were 107 responses from CTPC users. The typical CTPC user was a 67 year old woman with pain in the neck, back, or feet. The median duration of CTPC use was 4.5 months. Pain specialists, general practitioners, podiatrists, and orthopedists were the primary prescribers of CTPC. The prescriber was the first person to suggest CTPC for most patients. The majority of patients had insurance coverage for the CTPC and paid an average of $24.41 out of pocket per prescription. Most patients were highly satisfied with all aspects of CTPC and were more satisfied with CTPC than other medications they had used for the medical condition previously.