Daily Medication Pearl: Fentanyl Citrate (Actiq)

Medication Pearl of the Day: Fentanyl Citrate (Actiq)

Indication: Fentanyl citrate (Actiq) is an opioid agonist indicated for the management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients 16 years of age and older who are already receiving and who are tolerant to around-the-clock opioid therapy for their underlying persistent cancer pain.

Insight:

• Dosing: Initial dose of Actiq 200 mcg. Prescribe an initial supply of six 200 mcg Actiq units.
• Dosage forms: Solid oral transmucosal lozenge 200 mcg, 400 mcg, 600 mcg, 800 mcg, 1200 mcg, and 1600 mcg.
• Adverse events: Most common (frequency ≥5%) adverse events are nausea, dizziness, somnolence, vomiting, asthenia, and headache, dyspnea, constipation, anxiety, confusion, depression, rash, and insomnia.
• Mechanism of action: Fentanyl is an opioid agonist whose principal therapeutic action is analgesia.

Source: label (fda.gov)