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Urits I, Pham C, Swanson D, Berardino K, Bandi P, Amgalan A, Kaye RJ, Jung JW, Kaye AD, Paladini A, Varrassi G, Kaye AM, Manchikanti L, Viswanath O. The utilization of buprenorphine in chronic pain. Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol 2020; 34:355-368. [PMID: 33004153 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpa.2020.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Reclassification of chronic pain as a disease may be helpful because patients with chronic pain require significant treatment and rehabilitation with a clear diagnosis. This can help address critical factors including suffering, quality of life, participation, and with family and social life, which continue to become more important in evaluating the quality of the health care we give our patients today. During the past decade of the opioid epidemic, methadone was the primary treatment for opioid addiction until buprenorphine was approved. Buprenorphine's high-affinity partial agonist properties make it a good alternative to methadone due to lower abuse potential and safer adverse effect profile while maintaining significant efficacy. Expanded out-patient prescribing options have allowed physician and physician extenders such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners to treat these patients that otherwise would have been required to utilize methadone. With unique pharmacological properties, buprenorphine is a safe and effective analgesic for chronic pain. The literature for buprenorphine shows great potential for its utilization in the treatment of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Urits
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Cynthia Pham
- Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Daniel Swanson
- Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kevin Berardino
- Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Prudhvi Bandi
- University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Department of Anesthesiology, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | | | - Rachel J Kaye
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jai Won Jung
- Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Alan D Kaye
- Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, Department of Anesthesiology, Shreveport, LA, USA
| | | | | | - Adam M Kaye
- University of the Pacific, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Stockton, CA, USA
| | | | - Omar Viswanath
- University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Department of Anesthesiology, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, Department of Anesthesiology, Shreveport, LA, USA; Valley Pain Consultants, Envision Physician Services, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Creighton University School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Omaha, NE, USA
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Davis MP, Pasternak G, Behm B. Treating Chronic Pain: An Overview of Clinical Studies Centered on the Buprenorphine Option. Drugs 2018; 78:1211-1228. [PMID: 30051169 PMCID: PMC6822392 DOI: 10.1007/s40265-018-0953-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The buprenorphine receptor binding profile is unique in that it binds to all three major opioid receptors (mu, kappa, delta), and also binds to the orphan-like receptor, the receptor for orphanin FQ/nociceptin, with lower affinity. Within the mu receptor group, buprenorphine analgesia in rodents is dependent on the recently discovered arylepoxamide receptor target in brain, which involves a truncated 6-transmembrane mu receptor gene protein, distinguishing itself from morphine and most other mu opioids. Although originally designed as an analgesic, buprenorphine has mainly been used for opioid maintenance therapy and only now is increasingly recognized as an effective analgesic with an improved therapeutic index relative to certain potent opioids. Albeit a second-, third-, or fourth-line analgesic, buprenorphine is a reasonable choice in certain clinical situations. Transdermal patches and buccal film formulations are now commercially available as analgesics. This review discusses buprenorphine pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, use in certain populations, and provides a synopsis of systematic reviews and randomized analgesic trials. We briefly discuss postoperative management in patients receiving buprenorphine maintenance therapy, opioid equivalence to buprenorphine, rotations to buprenorphine from other opioids, and clinical relevance of buprenorphine-related QTc interval changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mellar P Davis
- Department of Palliative Care, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA, USA.
| | - Gavril Pasternak
- Anne Burnett Tandy Chair in Neurology, Laboratory Head, Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bertrand Behm
- Department of Palliative Care, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA, USA
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