Oxycodone - a new formulation is available for chronic pain patients.

[Charles Bronson]

OXYCODONE HYDROCHLORIDE with NALOXONE HYDROCHLORIDE

It's called Targin, comes in 5/10/20 and 40 mg dosages and has a restricted benefit:
Chronic severe disabling pain not responding to non-narcotic analgesics.
Note

Authorities for increased maximum quantities and/or repeats will be granted only for:

(i) chronic severe disabling pain associated with proven malignant neoplasia; or



(ii) chronic severe disabling pain not responding to non-narcotic analgesics where the total duration of narcotic analgesic treatment is less than 12 months; or



(iii) first application for treatment beyond 12 months of chronic severe disabling pain not responding to non-narcotic analgesics where the patient's pain management has been reviewed through consultation by the patient with another medical practitioner, and the clinical need for continuing narcotic analgesic treatment has been confirmed. The date of the consultation must be no more than 3 months prior to the application for a PBS authority. The full name of the medical practitioner consulted and the date of consultation are to be provided at the time of application; or



(iv) subsequent application for treatment of chronic severe disabling pain not responding to non-narcotic analgesics where a PBS authority prescription for treatment beyond 12 months has previously been issued for this patient.

 

[Divine Moments]

This is not particularly new, it's been listed in the Australian Medicines Handbook for some time.

Indications: Moderate-to-severe chronic pain, when opioid-induced constipation is refractory to optimised regular laxatives

Practice Points:

• Naloxone is intended to reduce opioid-induced GI adverse effects such as constipation
• Consider use if optimised regular laxatives for opioid-induced constipation are inadequate, as comparative studies with laxatives are lacking
• Most studies included only people with chronic non-cancer pain

Formulations:

• tab, oxycodone 5 mg, naloxone 2.5 mg (controlled release, blue), 20, Targin 5/2.5 (MF)
• tab, oxycodone 10 mg, naloxone 5 mg (controlled release, white), 20, Targin 10/5 (MF)
• tab, oxycodone 20 mg, naloxone 10 mg (controlled release, pink), 20, Targin 20/10 (MF)
• tab, oxycodone 40 mg, naloxone 20 mg (controlled release, yellow), 20, Targin 40/20 (MF)

 

[Mr Blonde]

No it's not new, it's just new to the PBS. There were news articles earlier this year talking about how patients on this drug and other drugs were wanting the government the list of subsidized medications to include these formulations.

Roxon rejects plea on drugs.