Safety and Efficacy of Buprenorphine Patch in the Management of Chronic Pain

A transdermal formulation of buprenorphine was introduced in 2001, which reignited interest in this medication for the treatment of chronic moderate-to-severe pain. This review presents the evidence published since November 2011, focusing on issues of safety and efficacy, and providing evidence-based guidance on clinical applications of transdermal buprenorphine. Medical literature were identified by searching databases, including Medline, EMBASE, PsychINFO, AMED, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, the Cochrane Methodology Register, the Health Technology Assessment, and the NHS Economic Evaluation Database. All randomized controlled trials in adults diagnosed with chronic non-malignant moderate-to-severe pain were included.