Herbal Spotlight
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 fentanyl transdermal |
| Duragesic |
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Pharmaceutical
company:
ALZA Corp.
www.alza.com |
NEW WARNING
The Food and Drug Administration issued an update to the 7/15/2007 Safety Alert regarding safe use of transdermal fentanyl (Duragesic). The update clarifies the safety information that the fentanyl patch is only indicated for use in patients with persistent, moderate to severe chronic pain who have been taking a regular, daily, around-the-clock narcotic pain reliever for over one week and who are considered to be opioid tolerant. Patients must avoid exposing the patch to excessive heat because that can lead to an increased release of the drug from the patch and increased absorption into the system, which can result in a fatal overdose. Patients must be instructed to remove the old patch before applying a new one. These points are now incorporated into the prescribing information, and new patient guidelines for applying the patch have been developed.
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