Buprenorphine 5, 10 and 20 μg/h transdermal patch: a guide to its use in chronic non-malignant pain.

Buprenorphine lower-dose (5, 10 and 20 μg/h) transdermal patches, which are administered once every 7 days, are indicated in the management of chronic non-malignant pain. This review focuses on the labelling of this formulation (BuTrans®) in the EU. The analgesic efficacy of transdermal buprenorphine in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee has been demonstrated to be equivalent to sublingual buprenorphine, noninferior to prolonged-release tramadol and generally superior to a matching transdermal placebo patch. When used together with regularly scheduled oral paracetamol (acetaminophen), transdermal buprenorphine was noninferior to codeine plus paracetamol. Transdermal buprenorphine has also shown analgesic efficacy in patients with chronic non-malignant pain of various causes.