As the opioid crises continues to loom over the landscape of pain management, there is a growing interest among practitioners for alternative analgesia and delivery systems. As such, topical and transdermal therapeutic options are being utilized with greater frequency among pain practitioners. This presentation will address the advantages that topical analgesics have over systemically administered analgesics, including the ability to provide effective analgesia with reduced systemic drug levels, a factor particularly beneficial to the elderly. Also discussed will be how topical analgesics differ from transdermal delivery systems in that the latter's goal is to deliver systemic rather than local effects.
Supported by an educational grant from Hisamitsu.
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Learning Objectives:
Discuss adverse effects associated with systemic analgesics
Identify anatomic targets for topical medications
Identify active ingredients well suited for topical delivery
Differentiate various formulations of topically applied medication
Explain the effectiveness and potential adverse reactions of topical preparations
