Fentanyl buccal tablet: rapid relief from breakthrough pain.

Breakthrough pain--a transient increase in pain occurring over a baseline of controlled persistent pain--represents an important clinical challenge in the management of cancer and other chronic pain conditions. The fentanyl buccal tablet is a new sugar-free, easily-administered formulation that uses an effervescent drug delivery system to enhance the rate and extent of fentanyl absorption across the buccal mucosa. Clinical trials indicate that the rapid systemic exposure provided by fentanyl buccal tablets translates into clinically significant improvements in pain intensity. Pain relief is observed within 10-15 min of administration. Fentanyl buccal tablets are generally well tolerated, with the most commonly observed adverse events being typical opioid side effects. Fentanyl buccal tablets represent a convenient and effective treatment for the control of breakthrough pain.