A Patient's Guide to Transdermal Treatment of Pain
Author(s): Fields Shannon W
Issue: Sep/Oct 2005 - Pain Management
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Page(s): 354
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Abstract: Never before have there been so many options for transdermal treatment of pain. Transdermal pain medications offer many benefits. They transmit drug through the skin and, in many instances, allow for a more localized effect than oral medications, which affect the entire body. Transdermal treatment reduces the occurrence of side effects that often accompany oral medications. While transdermal pain medications are available commercially in many countries, in the US these preparations generally are prepared by a compounding pharmacist. The compounding pharmacist can customize the medication for the individual patient by creating different combinations and dosages based on the prescriber’s specifications. These medications often contain more than one drug, and they can be used for a variety of painful conditions. Most often, the base in which these compounded medications are prepared is known as a PLO gel, which is short for Pluronic lecithin organogel.