Resounding Health:

Basic Drug Info

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Drug Name:	Buprenex
Manufacturer:	Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Other Info:	Safety and Handling: Buprenex is supplied in sealed ampules and poses no known environmental risk to health care providers. Accidental dermal exposure should be treated by removal of any contaminated clothing and rinsing the affected area with water.Buprenex is a potent narcotic, and like all drugs of this class has been associated with abuse and dependence among health care providers. To control the risk of diversion, it is recommended that measures appropriate to the health care setting be taken to provide rigid accounting, control of wastage, and restriction of access.Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit.

Clinical Trials:	NIH - Clinical Trials

Indications and Usage

Buprenex is indicated for the relief of moderate to severe pain.

Contraindications

Buprenex should not be administered to patients who have been shown to be hypersensitive to the drug.

Hypersensitivity -- Altered reactivity to an antigen, which can result in pathologic reactions upon subsequent exposure to that particular antigen.

Warnings

Impaired Respiration: As with other potent opioids, clinically significant respiratory depression may occur within the recommended dose range in patients receiving therapeutic doses of buprenorphine.

Buprenex should be used with caution in patients with compromised respiratory function (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cor pulmonale, decreased respiratory reserve, hypoxia, hypercapnia, or preexisting respiratory depression).

Particular caution is advised if Buprenex is administered to patients taking or recently receiving drugs with CNS/respiratory depressant effects.

In patients with the physical and/or pharmacological risk factors above, the dose should be reduced by approximately one-half.NALOXONE MAY NOT BE EFFECTIVE IN REVERSING THE RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION PRODUCED BY BUPRENEX.

THEREFORE, AS WITH OTHER POTENT OPIOIDS, THE PRIMARY MANAGEMENT OF OVERDOSE SHOULD BE THE REESTABLISHMENT OF ADEQUATE VENTILATION WITH MECHANICAL ASSISTANCE OF RESPIRATION, IF REQUIRED.