Background: Painkyl® buccal soluble film is absorbed through the oral mucosa fast. It is a short-acting opioid analgesic for the treatment of sudden pain in cancer patients. Applicable objects are limited to those over 18 years of age patients who are using opioids for their potential persistent cancer pain, and resistance to opioids. Patients who are opioid-resistant are defined as having taken oral morphine up to 60 mg daily, or transdermal fentanyl up to 25 micrograms per hour, or oral oxycodone up to 30 mg, or oral hydromorphone up to 8 mg daily, or other opioids such as analgesic doses for more than a week.
Objectives: Therefore, drug use compliance of Painkyl® was analyzed in the study.
Methods: This retrospective analysis screening of patients using Painkyl® from August 2016 to June 2019 in a regional teaching hospital in Taichung, Taiwan. The rationality of using Painkyl according to the Health Insurance Regulations was evaluated. Statistical analysis using Microsoft Excel.
Results: A total of 41 patients were included in the study for analysis. 26 patients (63.4%) were compliant with health insurance usage guidelines and 15 patients (36.6%) did not meet the health insurance usage guidelines. Among them, 5 people who did not meet the specifications are using fentanyl after 12ug / hr and using Painkyl®. Three people use both Painkyl® and fentanyl 25ug / hr. Two concurrent use of Pinkyl® and fentanyl 12ug / hr. One concurrent use of Pinkyl® and morphine 45 mg/day. Four people used Painkyl® without opioid analgesic drugs.
Conclusions: Study results found that Painkyl® did not meet usage guidelines up to 36.6%. It is recommended that doctors may not familiar with the usage of Painkyl® and need to enhance the understanding of this medicine to ensure safety and avoid the occurrence of drug abuse and addiction.
