Advice
Following a third re-submission
buprenorphine transdermal patches (Butrans) are not recommended for use within NHS Scotland for the treatment of severe opioid responsive pain conditions, which are not adequately responding to non-opioid analgesics.
In the patient population considered in this submission, severe osteoarthritis pain in elderly patients whose pain is not adequately controlled by non-opioid analgesics, or for whom other analgesics are not suitable, buprenorphine transdermal 7-day patch was superior to placebo and similar in efficacy to World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘Step 2’ analgesic comparator agents.
The manufacturer did not present a sufficiently robust economic analysis to gain acceptance by the SMC.
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Medicine details
- Medicine name:
- buprenorphine transdermal patch (BuTrans)
- SMC ID:
- 234/06
- Indication:
- Severe osteoarthritis pain in elderly patients, whose pain is not adequately controlled by non opioid analgesics, or for whom other analgesics are not suitable.
- Pharmaceutical company
- Napp Pharmaceuticals Ltd
- BNF chapter
- Central nervous system
- Submission type
- Resubmission
- Status
- Not recommended
- Date advice published
- 12 January 2009