Transdermal patches an easy way to get rid of extreme pain, say doctors

Managing pain after complicated surgeries has always been a question, but the new-age transdermal patches bring a new hope for patients suffering from severe pain due to cancer, say doctors at a workshop, organized here to spread awareness about the latest development in the medical sector.

Esteemed doctors and professional from the medical industry came together for an open forum to discuss about the Role and Usage of Fentanyl transdermal patches in Pain Management of Cancer Patients & Chronic Pain of Various types.

The workshop was organized by Sandor, the company which markets Fen-touch fentanyl patches in association with IMA-East Delhi Branch of Anesthesiologist.

“This option is very handy. It can also be useful in cases of extreme pain. These are band-aid like patches that deliver the pain killer medication through the patient’s skin into his/her bloodstream. It is an alternative option for injections and medicines that people are not that willing to take,” said Dr. Dange Veerapaneni, Managin Director, Sparsha Pharma, the Hyderabad-based company that manufacturers of Fen Touch patches.

“A transdermal patch is a medicated adhesive patch which when placed on the skin, helps in effective management of chronic pain conditions. The first transdermal patch was approved by the USFDA way back in 1979. Since then, transdermal patches have come a long way. In India, however, there is not much awareness about these as of now.” He further added.

Among the other prominent speakers during the workshop were Dr Prof Ashok Kumar Saxena (HOD-Anaesthesia & Pain Management-UCMS-GTB), Dr Preeti Govind (HOD-Pain Management & Anaesthesia-Indian Spinal Injuries Centre), Dr Anshuman Kumar (Surg Oncologist - Dharamshila Cancer Hospital-Delhi), Dr Neha Aggarwal - HOD-Anaesthesia & Pain Management - Dharamshila Cancer Hospital), Dr Atul Kumar Gupta, Sr Const, Anesthesia & Hony.Secretary - East Delhi Anaesthesiologist Forum.

Ashok Kumar Saxena, HOD-Anaesthesia & Pain Management, University College of Medical Sciences, Guru Tegbahadur Hodspital, said “Pain has been the biggest problem that any treatment and surgery leaves behind. And to be able to manage that is a boon. Transdermal patches are certainly providing an easy and effective alternative for patients suffering from severe pain”

A transdermal drug delivery systems offer several important advantages over oral medication, such as:

* Longer duration of action resulting in a reduction in dosing frequency

* Increased convenience to administer drugs which would otherwise require frequent dosing

* Reduced side effects and improved therapy due to maintenance of plasma levels up to the end of the dosing interval

* Flexibility of terminating the drug administration by simply removing the patch from the skin

* Improved patient compliance and comfort via non-invasive, painless and simple application