For Healthcare Professionals

CONTRAINDICATIONS

• Butrans is contraindicated in patients with significant respiratory depression, acute or severe bronchial asthma in an unmonitored setting or in the absence of resuscitative equipment, known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction, including paralytic ileus, hypersensitivity (eg, anaphylaxis) to buprenorphine.

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS 

Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse

• Butrans contains buprenorphine, a Schedule III controlled substance. Butrans exposes users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse. Because extended-release products such as Butrans deliver the opioid over an extended period of time, there is a greater risk for overdose and death, due to the larger amount of buprenorphine present.
• Although the risk of addiction in any individual is unknown, it can occur in patients appropriately prescribed Butrans. Addiction can occur at recommended doses and if the drug is misused or abused.
• Assess each patient’s risk for opioid addiction, abuse, or misuse prior to prescribing Butrans, and monitor all patients receiving Butrans for the development of these behaviors and conditions. Risks are increased in patients with a personal or family history of substance abuse (including drug or alcohol abuse or addiction) or mental illness (eg, major depression). The potential for these risks should not, however, prevent the proper management of pain in any given patient. Patients at increased risk may be prescribed opioids such as Butrans, but use in such patients necessitates intensive counseling about the risks and proper use of Butrans, along with intensive monitoring for signs of addiction, abuse, or misuse.
• Abuse or misuse of Butrans by placing it in the mouth, chewing it, swallowing it, or using it in ways other than indicated may cause choking, overdose and death.
• Opioids are sought by drug abusers and people with addiction disorders and are subject to criminal diversion. Consider these risks when prescribing or dispensing Butrans. Strategies to reduce these risks include prescribing the drug in the smallest appropriate quantity and advising the patient on the proper disposal of unused drug. 

Life‐Threatening Respiratory Depression

• Serious, life-threatening, or fatal respiratory depression has been reported with the use of opioids, even when used as recommended, and if not immediately recognized and treated, may lead to respiratory arrest and death.
• While serious, life‐threatening, or fatal respiratory depression can occur at any time during the use of Butrans, the risk is greatest during the initiation of therapy or following a dosage increase. Closely monitor patients for respiratory depression, especially within the first 24-72 hours of initiating therapy with and following dosage increases of Butrans.
• To reduce the risk of respiratory depression, proper dosing and titration of Butrans are essential. Overestimating the Butrans dosage when converting patients from another opioid product can result in fatal overdose with the first dose.
• Accidental exposure to Butrans, especially in children, can result in respiratory depression and death due to an overdose of buprenorphine.

Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome

• Prolonged use of Butrans during pregnancy can result in withdrawal in the neonate. Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, unlike opioid withdrawal syndrome in adults, may be life-threatening if not recognized and treated, and requires management according to protocols developed by neonatology experts. Observe newborns for signs of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and manage accordingly. Advise pregnant women using opioids for a prolonged period of the risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and ensure that appropriate treatment will be available.

Risks from Concomitant Use with Benzodiazepines or Other CNS Depressants

• Profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma and death may result from the concomitant use of Butrans with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants (e.g., non-benzodiazepine sedatives/hypnotics, anxiolytics, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, general anesthetics, antipsychotics, , other opioids, alcohol).Because of these risks, reserve concomitant prescribing of these drugs for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate.
• If the decision is made to prescribe a benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant concomitantly with an opioid analgesic, prescribe the lowest effective dosages and minimum durations of concomitant use.  In patients already receiving an opioid analgesic, prescribe a lower initial dose of the benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant than indicated in the absence of an opioid, and titrate based on clinical response. If an opioid analgesic is initiated in a patient already taking a benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant, prescribe a lower initial dose of the opioid analgesic, and titrate based on clinical response. Follow patients closely for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation. 
• Advise both patients and caregivers about the risks of respiratory depression and sedation when Butrans is used with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants (including alcohol and illicit drugs).  Advise patients not to drive or operate heavy machinery until the effects of concomitant use of the benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant have been determined.  Screen patients for risk of substance use disorders, including opioid abuse and misuse, and warn them of the risk for overdose and death associated with the use of additional CNS depressants including alcohol and illicit drugs.

Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression in Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Disease or in Elderly, Cachectic, or Debilitated Patients

• The use of Butrans in patients with acute or severe bronchial asthma in an unmonitored setting or in the absence of resuscitative equipment is contraindicated.
• Butrans-treated patients with significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cor pulmonale, and those with a substantially decreased respiratory reserve, hypoxia, hypercapnia, or pre-existing respiratory depression are at increased risk of decreased respiratory drive including apnea, even at recommended dosages of Butrans.
• Life-threatening respiratory depression is more likely to occur in elderly, cachectic, or debilitated patients because they may have altered pharmacokinetics or altered clearance compared to younger, healthier patients.
• Monitor such patients closely, particularly when initiating and titrating Butrans and when Butrans is given concomitantly with other drugs that depress respiration.  Alternatively, consider the use of non-opioid analgesics in these patients.

Adrenal Insufficiency

• Cases of adrenal insufficiency have been reported with opioid use, more often following greater than one month of use. If adrenal insufficiency is suspected, confirm the diagnosis with diagnostic testing as soon as possible. If adrenal insufficiency is diagnosed, treat with physiologic replacement doses of corticosteroids. Wean the patient off of the opioid to allow adrenal function to recover and continue corticosteroid treatment until adrenal function recovers.

QTc Prolongation

• A positive‐controlled study of the effects of Butrans on the QTc interval in healthy subjects demonstrated no clinically meaningful effect at a Butrans dose of 10 mcg/hour; however, a Butrans dose of 40 mcg/hour (given as two Butrans 20 mcg/hour Transdermal Systems) was observed to prolong the QTc interval.
• Consider these observations in clinical decisions when prescribing Butrans to patients with hypokalemia or clinically unstable cardiac disease, including: unstable atrial fibrillation, symptomatic bradycardia, unstable congestive heart failure, or active myocardial ischemia. Avoid the use of Butrans in patients with a history of Long QT Syndrome or an immediate family member with this condition, or those taking Class IA antiarrhythmic medications (eg, quinidine, procainamide, disopyramide) or Class III antiarrhythmic medications (eg, sotalol, amiodarone, dofetilide), or other medications that prolong the QTc interval.

Severe Hypotension

• Butrans may cause severe hypotension including orthostatic hypotension and syncope in ambulatory patients. There is an increased risk in patients whose ability to maintain blood pressure has been compromised by a reduced blood volume or concurrent administration with certain CNS depressant drugs (eg, phenothiazines or general anesthetics). Monitor these patients for signs of hypotension after initiating or titrating the dosage of Butrans. In patients with circulatory shock, Butrans may cause vasodilation that can further reduce cardiac output and blood pressure. Avoid the use of Butrans in patients with circulatory shock.

Risks of Use in Patients with Head Injury or Increased Intracranial Pressure, Brain Tumors, Head Injury or Impaired Consciousness

• In patients who may be susceptible to the intracranial effects of CO₂ retention (e.g., those with evidence of increased intracranial pressure or brain tumors), Butrans may reduce respiratory drive, and the resultant CO₂ retention can further increase intracranial pressure. Monitor such patients for signs of sedation and respiratory depression, particularly when initiating therapy with Butrans. 
• Opioids may also obscure the clinical course in a patient with a head injury.  Avoid the use of Butrans in patients with impaired consciousness or coma. 

Hepatotoxicity

• Cases of cytolytic hepatitis and hepatitis with jaundice have been observed in individuals receiving sublingual buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid dependence, both in clinical trials and in post‐marketing adverse event reports. For patients at increased risk of hepatotoxicity, obtain baseline liver enzyme levels and monitor periodically and during treatment with Butrans.

Application Site Skin Reactions

• In rare cases, severe application site skin reactions with signs of marked inflammation including “burn,” “discharge,” and “vesicles” have occurred. Time of onset varies, ranging from days to months following the initiation of Butrans treatment. Instruct patients to promptly report the development of severe application site reactions and discontinue therapy.

Anaphylactic/Allergic Reactions

• Cases of acute and chronic hypersensitivity to buprenorphine have been reported both in clinical trials and in the post‐marketing experience. The most common signs and symptoms include rashes, hives, and pruritus. Cases of bronchospasm, angioneurotic edema, and anaphylactic shock have been reported. A history of hypersensitivity to buprenorphine is a contraindication to the use of Butrans. 

Risks of Use with Application of External Heat

• Advise patients and their caregivers to avoid exposing the Butrans application site and surrounding area to direct external heat sources, such as heating pads or electric blankets, heat or tanning lamps, saunas, hot tubs, and heated water beds while wearing the system because an increase in absorption of buprenorphine may occur. Advise patients against exposure of the Butrans application site and surrounding area to hot water or prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. There is a potential for temperature-dependent increases in buprenorphine released from the system resulting in possible overdose and death. 

Risks of Use in Patients with Fever

• Monitor patients wearing Butrans systems who develop fever or increased core body temperature due to strenuous exertion for opioid side effects and adjust the Butrans dose if signs of respiratory or central nervous system depression occur. 

Risks of Use in Patients with Gastrointestinal Conditions

• Butrans is contraindicated in patients with known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction, including paralytic ileus. The buprenorphine in Butrans may cause spasm of the sphincter of Oddi. Opioids may cause increases in the serum amylase. Monitor patients with biliary tract disease, including acute pancreatitis, for worsening symptoms. 

Increased Risk of Seizures in Patients with Seizure Disorders

• The buprenorphine in Butrans may increase the frequency of seizures in patients with seizure disorders, and may increase the risk of seizures in other clinical settings associated with seizures. Monitor patients with a history of seizure disorders for worsened seizure control during Butrans therapy. 

Risks of Driving and Operating Machinery

• Butrans may impair the mental and physical abilities needed to perform potentially hazardous activities such as driving a car or operating machinery. Warn patients not to drive or operate dangerous machinery unless they are tolerant to the effects of Butrans and know how they will react to the medication. 

Use in Addiction Treatment

• Butrans has not been studied and is not approved for use in the management of addictive disorders. 

ADVERSE REACTIONS

• The most common adverse reactions (≥5%) reported by patients treated with Butrans in clinical trials were nausea, headache, application site pruritus, dizziness, constipation, somnolence, vomiting, application site erythema, dry mouth, and application site rash. 

Please read Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

• Hysingla ER is contraindicated in patients with significant respiratory depression; acute or severe bronchial asthma in an unmonitored setting or in the absence of resuscitative equipment; known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction, including paralytic ileus; hypersensitivity to hydrocodone or any component of Hysingla ER. 

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse

• Hysingla ER contains hydrocodone, a Schedule II controlled substance. Hysingla ER exposes users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse. Because extended-release products such as Hysingla ER deliver the opioid over an extended period of time, there is a greater risk for overdose and death, due to the larger amount of hydrocodone present.
• Although the risk of addiction in any individual is unknown, it can occur in patients appropriately prescribed Hysingla ER. Addiction can occur at recommended doses and if the drug is misused or abused.
• Assess each patient’s risk for opioid addiction, abuse, or misuse prior to prescribing Hysingla ER, and monitor all patients receiving Hysingla ER for the development of these behaviors and conditions. Risks are increased in patients with a personal or family history of substance abuse (including drug or alcohol abuse or addiction) or mental illness (e.g., major depression). The potential for these risks should not, however, prevent the proper management of pain in any given patient. Patients at increased risk may be prescribed opioids such as Hysingla ER, but use in such patients necessitates intensive counseling about the risks and proper use of Hysingla ER along with intensive monitoring for signs of addiction, abuse, and misuse. 
• Abuse or misuse of Hysingla ER by crushing, chewing, snorting, or injecting the dissolved product will result in the uncontrolled delivery of the hydrocodone and can result in overdose and death.
• Opioids are sought by drug abusers and people with addiction disorders and are subject to criminal diversion. Consider these risks when prescribing or dispensing Hysingla ER. Strategies to reduce these risks include prescribing the drug in the smallest appropriate quantity and advising the patient on the proper disposal of unused drug.

Life‐Threatening Respiratory Depression

• Serious, life-threatening, or fatal respiratory depression has been reported with the use of opioids, even when used as recommended, and if not immediately recognized and treated, may lead to respiratory arrest and death.
• While serious, life‐threatening, or fatal respiratory depression can occur at any time during the use of Hysingla ER, the risk is greatest during the initiation of therapy or following a dosage increase. Closely monitor patients for respiratory depression when initiating therapy with Hysingla ER and following dose increases, especially within the first 24-72 hours of initiating therapy with and following dosage increases of Hysingla ER.
• To reduce the risk of respiratory depression, proper dosing and titration of Hysingla ER are essential. Overestimating the Hysingla ER dosage when converting patients from another opioid product can result in a fatal overdose with the first dose.
• Accidental ingestion of even one dose of Hysingla ER, especially by children, can result in respiratory depression and death due to an overdose of hydrocodone.

Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome

• Prolonged use of Hysingla ER during pregnancy can result in withdrawal in the neonate. Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, unlike opioid withdrawal syndrome in adults, may be life-threatening if not recognized and treated, and requires management according to protocols developed by neonatology experts Observe newborns for signs of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and manage accordingly. Advise pregnant women using opioids for a prolonged period of the risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and ensure that appropriate treatment will be available.

Risks of Concomitant Use or Discontinuation of Cytochrome P450 3A4 Inhibitors and Inducers

• Concomitant use with a CYP3A4 inhibitor, such as macrolide antibiotics, azole-antifungal agents, and protease inhibitors, particularly when an inhibitor is added after a stable dose of Hysingla ER is achieved, and discontinuation of a CYP3A4 inducer, such as rifampin, carbamazepine, and phenytoin, may increase plasma concentrations of hydrocodone and prolong opioid adverse reactions, which may cause potentially fatal respiratory depression.  Monitor patients closely at frequent intervals and consider dosage reduction of Hysingla ER until stable drug effects are achieved.  Concomitant use of Hysingla ER with CYP3A4 inducers or discontinuation of an CYP3A4 inhibitor could decrease hydrocodone plasma concentrations, decrease opioid efficacy or, possibly, lead to a withdrawal syndrome in a patient who had developed physical dependence to hydrocodone. Monitor patients closely at frequent intervals and consider increasing the opioid dosage if needed to maintain adequate analgesia or if symptoms of opioid withdrawal occur.

Risks from Concomitant Use of Benzodiazepines or Other CNS Depressants

• Profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death may result from the concomitant use of Hysingla ER with benzodiazepines or CNS depressants (e.g., non-benzodiazepine sedatives/hypnotics, anxiolytics, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, general anesthetics, antipsychotics, other opioids, alcohol). Because of these risks, reserve concomitant prescribing of these drugs for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate.
• If the decision is made to prescribe a benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant concomitantly with an opioid analgesic, prescribe the lowest effective dosages and minimum durations of concomitant use.  In patients already receiving an opioid analgesic, prescribe a lower initial dose of the benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant than indicated in the absence of an opioid, and titrate based on clinical response. If an opioid analgesic is initiated in a patient already taking a benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant, prescribe a lower initial dose of the opioid analgesic, and titrate based on clinical response. Follow patients closely for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation. 
• Advise both patients and caregivers about the risks of respiratory depression and sedation when Hysingla ER is used with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants (including alcohol and illicit drugs).  Advise patients not to drive or operate heavy machinery until the effects of concomitant use of the benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant have been determined.  Screen patients for risk of substance use disorders, including opioid abuse and misuse, and warn them of the risk for overdose and death associated with the use of additional CNS depressants including alcohol and illicit drugs.

Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression in Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Disease or Elderly, Cachectic, or Debilitated Patients

• The use of Hysingla ER in patients with acute or severe bronchial asthma in an unmonitored setting or in the absence of resuscitative equipment is contraindicated. Hysingla ER-treated patients with significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cor pulmonale, and those with a substantially decreased respiratory reserve, hypoxia, hypercapnia, or pre-existing respiratory depression are at increased risk of decreased respiratory drive including apnea, even at recommended dosages of Hysingla ER.
• Life-threatening respiratory depression is more likely to occur in elderly, cachectic, or debilitated patients because they may have altered pharmacokinetics or altered clearance compared to younger, healthier patients.
• Monitor such patients closely, particularly when initiating and titrating Hysingla ER and when Hysingla ER is given concomitantly with other drugs that depress respiration.  Alternatively, consider the use of non-opioid analgesics in these patients.

Adrenal Insufficiency

• Cases of adrenal insufficiency have been reported with opioid use, more often following greater than one month of use. If adrenal insufficiency is suspected, confirm the diagnosis with diagnostic testing as soon as possible. If adrenal insufficiency is diagnosed, treat with physiologic replacement doses of corticosteroids. Wean the patient off of the opioid to allow adrenal function to recover and continue corticosteroid treatment until adrenal function recovers.

Severe Hypotension

• Hysingla ER may cause severe hypotension including orthostatic hypotension and syncope in ambulatory patients. There is an increased risk in patients whose ability to maintain blood pressure has already been compromised by a reduced blood volume or after concurrent administration of certain CNS depressants drugs (e.g., phenothiazines or general anesthetics). Monitor these patients for signs of hypotension after initiating or titrating the dosage of Hysingla ER. In patients with circulatory shock, Hysingla ER may cause vasodilation that can further reduce cardiac output and blood pressure. Avoid the use of Hysingla ER in patients with circulatory shock.

QTc Interval Prolongation

• QTc prolongation has been observed with Hysingla ER following doses of 160 mg.  This observation should be considered in making decisions regarding patient monitoring when prescribing Hysingla ER in patients with congestive heart failure, bradyarrhythmias, electrolyte abnormalities, or who are taking medications known to prolong QTc interval.
• Hysingla ER should be avoided in patients with congenital long QT syndrome.  In patients who develop QTc prolongation, consider reducing the dose by 33 – 50%, or changing to an alternate analgesic.

Risk of Use in Patients with Increased Intracranial Pressure, Brain Tumors, Head Injury, or Impaired Consciousness

• In patients who may be susceptible to the intracranial effects of CO₂ retention (e.g., those with evidence of increased intracranial pressure or brain tumors), HYSINGLA ER may reduce respiratory drive, and the resultant CO₂ retention can further increase intracranial pressure. Monitor those patients for signs of sedation and respiratory depression, particularly when initiating therapy with Hysingla ER.  Opioids may obscure the clinical course in a patient with a head injury. Avoid the use of Hysingla ER in patients with impaired consciousness or coma.

Gastrointestinal Obstruction, Dysphagia, and Choking

• In the clinical studies with specific instructions to take Hysingla ER with water to swallow the tablets, 11 out of 2476 subjects reported difficulty swallowing Hysingla ER. These reports included esophageal obstruction, dysphagia, and choking, one of which had required medical intervention to remove the tablet. Instruct patients not to pre-soak, lick or otherwise wet Hysingla ER tablets prior to placing in the mouth, and to take one tablet at a time with enough water to ensure complete swallowing immediately after placing in the mouth. 
• Patients with underlying gastrointestinal disorders such as esophageal cancer or colon cancer with a small gastrointestinal lumen are at greater risk of developing these complications. Consider use of an alternative analgesic in patients who have difficulty swallowing and patients at risk for underlying gastrointestinal disorders resulting in a small gastrointestinal lumen.

Risks of Use in Patients with Gastrointestinal Conditions

• Hysingla ER is contraindicated in patients with known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction, including paralytic ileus.  The hydrocodone in Hysingla ER may cause spasm of the sphincter of Oddi. Opioids may cause increases in the serum amylase.  Monitor patients with biliary tract disease, including acute pancreatitis.

Increased Risk of Seizures in Patients with Seizure Disorders

• The hydrocodone in Hysingla ER may increase the frequency of seizures in patients with seizure disorders, and may increase the risk of seizures occurring in other clinical settings associated with seizures. Monitor patients with a history of seizure disorders for worsened seizure control during Hysingla ER therapy.

Withdrawal

• Avoid the use of mixed agonist/antagonist analgesics (e.g., pentazocine, nalbuphine, and butorphanol) or partial agonist (e.g., buprenorphine) analgesics in patients who are receiving a full opioid agonist analgesic, including Hysingla ER. In these patients, mixed agonist/antagonist and partial agonist analgesics may reduce the analgesic effect and/or may precipitate withdrawal symptoms. When discontinuing Hysingla ER, gradually taper the dosage.  Do not abruptly discontinue Hysingla ER.

Risks of Driving and Operating Machinery

• Hysingla ER may impair the mental and physical abilities needed to perform potentially hazardous activities such as driving a car or operating machinery. Peak blood levels of hydrocodone may occur 14 – 16 hours (range 6 – 30 hours) after initial dosing of Hysingla ER.  Blood levels of hydrocodone, in some patients, may be high at the end of 24 hours after repeated-dose administration.  Warn patients not to drive or operate dangerous machinery unless they are tolerant to the effects of Hysingla ER and know how they will react to the medication.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

• The most common adverse reactions (≥5%) reported by patients treated with Hysingla ER in the chronic pain clinical trials were constipation, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, upper respiratory tract infection, dizziness, headache, and somnolence.

Please read Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

OxyContin is contraindicated in patients with:

• Significant respiratory depression
• Acute or severe bronchial asthma in an unmonitored setting or in the absence of resuscitative equipment
• Known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction, including paralytic ileus
• Hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylaxis) to oxycodone.

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

• OxyContin contains oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance. OxyContin exposes users to the risks of opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse. Because extended-release products such as OxyContin deliver the opioid over an extended period of time, there is a greater risk for overdose and death due to the larger amount of oxycodone present.
• Although the risk of addiction in any individual is unknown, it can occur in patients appropriately prescribed OxyContin. Addiction can occur at recommended doses and if the drug is misused or abused.
• Assess each patient’s risk for opioid addiction, abuse, or misuse prior to prescribing OxyContin, and monitor all patients receiving OxyContin for the development of these behaviors and conditions. Risks are increased in patients with a personal or family history of substance abuse (including drug or alcohol abuse or addiction) or mental illness (e.g., major depression). The potential for these risks should not, however, prevent the proper management of pain in any given patient. Patients at increased risk may be prescribed opioids such as OxyContin, but use in such patients necessitates intensive counseling about the risks and proper use of OxyContin along with intensive monitoring for signs of addiction, abuse, and misuse.
• Abuse or misuse of OxyContin by crushing, chewing, snorting, or injecting the dissolved product will result in the uncontrolled delivery of oxycodone and can result in overdose and death.
• Opioids are sought by drug abusers and people with addiction disorders and are subject to criminal diversion. Consider these risks when prescribing or dispensing OxyContin. Strategies to reduce these risks include prescribing the drug in the smallest appropriate quantity and advising the patient on the proper disposal of unused drug.
• Serious, life-threatening, or fatal respiratory depression has been reported with the use of opioids, even when used as recommended, and if not immediately recognized and treated, may lead to respiratory arrest and death.
• While serious, life-threatening, or fatal respiratory depression can occur at any time during the use of OxyContin, the risk is greatest during the initiation of therapy or following a dosage increase. Closely monitor patients for respiratory depression, especially within the first 24-72 hours of initiating therapy with and following dosage increases of OxyContin.
• To reduce the risk of respiratory depression, proper dosing and titration of OxyContin are essential.  Overestimating the OxyContin dosage when converting patients from another opioid product can result in a fatal overdose with the first dose. 
• Accidental ingestion of even one dose of OxyContin, especially by children, can result in respiratory depression and death due to an overdose of oxycodone.
• Prolonged use of OxyContin during pregnancy can result in withdrawal in the neonate. Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, unlike opioid withdrawal syndrome in adults, may be life-threatening if not recognized and treated, and requires management according to protocols developed by neonatology experts. Observe newborns for signs of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and manage accordingly. Advise pregnant women using opioids for a prolonged period of the risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and ensure that appropriate treatment will be available.
• Concomitant use with a CYP3A4 inhibitor, such as macrolide antibiotics, azole-antifungal agents, and protease inhibitors, particularly when an inhibitor is added after a stable dose of OxyContin is achieved, and discontinuation of a CYP3A4 inducer, such as rifampin, carbamazepine, and phenytoin, may increase plasma concentrations of oxycodone and prolong opioid adverse reactions, which may cause potentially fatal respiratory depression.  Monitor patients closely at frequent intervals and consider dosage reduction of OxyContin until stable drug effects are achieved.  Concomitant use of OxyContin with CYP3A4 inducers or discontinuation of a CYP3A4 inhibitor could decrease oxycodone plasma concentrations, decrease opioid efficacy or, possibly, lead to a withdrawal syndrome in a patient who had developed physical dependence to oxycodone. Monitor patients closely at frequent intervals and consider increasing the opioid dosage if needed to maintain adequate analgesia or if symptoms of opioid withdrawal occur.
• Profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death may result from the concomitant use of OxyContin with benzodiazepines or CNS depressants (e.g., non-benzodiazepines sedatives/hypnotics, anxiolytics, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, general anesthetics, antipsychotics, other opioids, alcohol). Because of these risks, reserve concomitant prescribing of these drugs for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate.
• If the decision is made to prescribe a benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant concomitantly with an opioid analgesic, prescribe the lowest effective dosages and minimum durations of concomitant use.  In patients already receiving an opioid analgesic, prescribe a lower initial dose of the benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant than indicated in the absence of an opioid, and titrate based on clinical response. If an opioid analgesic is initiated in a patient already taking a benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant, prescribe a lower initial dose of the opioid analgesic, and titrate based on clinical response. Follow patients closely for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation. 
• Advise both patients and caregivers about the risks of respiratory depression and sedation when OxyContin is used with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants (including alcohol and illicit drugs).  Advise patients not to drive or operate heavy machinery until the effects of concomitant use of the benzodiazepine or other CNS depressant have been determined.  Screen patients for risk of substance use disorders, including opioid abuse and misuse, and warn them of the risk for overdose and death associated with the use of additional CNS depressants including alcohol and illicit drugs.
• The use of OxyContin in patients with acute or severe bronchial asthma in an unmonitored setting or in the absence of resuscitative equipment is contraindicated. OxyContin-treated patients with significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cor pulmonale, and those with a substantially decreased respiratory reserve, hypoxia, hypercapnia, or pre-existing respiratory depression are at increased risk of decreased respiratory drive including apnea, even at recommended dosages of OxyContin.
• Life-threatening respiratory depression is more likely to occur in elderly, cachectic, or debilitated patients because they may have altered pharmacokinetics or altered clearance compared to younger, healthier patients.
• Monitor such patients closely, particularly when initiating and titrating OxyContin and when OxyContin is given concomitantly with other drugs that depress respiration.  Alternatively, consider the use of non-opioid analgesics in these patients.
• Cases of adrenal insufficiency have been reported with opioid use, more often following greater than one month of use. If adrenal insufficiency is suspected, confirm the diagnosis with diagnostic testing as soon as possible. If adrenal insufficiency is diagnosed, treat with physiologic replacement doses of corticosteroids. Wean the patient off of the opioid to allow adrenal function to recover and continue corticosteroid treatment until adrenal function recovers.
• OxyContin may cause severe hypotension including orthostatic hypotension and syncope in ambulatory patients. There is an increased risk in patients whose ability to maintain blood pressure has already been compromised by a reduced blood volume or after concurrent administration of certain CNS depressants drugs (e.g., phenothiazines or general anesthetics). Monitor these patients for signs of hypotension after initiating or titrating the dosage of OxyContin. In patients with circulatory shock, OxyContin may cause vasodilation that can further reduce cardiac output and blood pressure. Avoid the use of OxyContin in patients with circulatory shock.
• In patients who may be susceptible to the intracranial effects of CO₂ retention (e.g., those with evidence of increased intracranial pressure or brain tumors), OxyContin may reduce respiratory drive, and the resultant CO₂ retention can further increase intracranial pressure. Monitor those patients for signs of sedation and respiratory depression, particularly when initiating therapy with OxyContin.  Opioids may obscure the clinical course in a patient with a head injury. Avoid the use of OxyContin in patients with impaired consciousness or coma.
• There have been post-marketing reports of difficulty swallowing OxyContin tablets.  These reports include choking, gagging, regurgitation, and tablets stuck in the throat.  Instruct patients not to pre-soak, lick or otherwise wet OxyContin tablets prior to placing in the mouth, and to take one tablet at a time with enough water to ensure complete swallowing immediately after placing in the mouth. 
• There have been rare post-marketing reports of cases of intestinal obstruction, and exacerbations of diverticulitis, some of which have required medical intervention to remove the tablet.  Patients with underlying GI disorders such as esophageal cancer or colon cancer with a small gastrointestinal lumen are at greater risk of developing these complications.  Consider use of an alternative analgesic in patients who have difficulty swallowing and patients at risk for underlying GI disorders resulting in a small gastrointestinal lumen.
• OxyContin is contraindicated in patients with known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction, including paralytic ileus.  The oxycodone in OxyContin may cause spasm of the sphincter of Oddi. Opioids may cause increases in the serum amylase. Monitor patients with biliary tract disease, including acute pancreatitis.
• The oxycodone in OxyContin may increase the frequency of seizures in patients with seizure disorders, and may increase the risk of seizures occurring in other clinical settings associated with seizures. Monitor patients with a history of seizure disorders for worsened seizure control during OxyContin therapy.
• Avoid the use of mixed agonist/antagonist (e.g., pentazocine, nalbuphine, and butorphanol) or partial agonist (e.g., buprenorphine) analgesics in patients who are receiving a full opioid agonist analgesic, including OxyContin.  In these patients, mixed agonist/antagonist and partial agonist analgesics may reduce the analgesic effect and/or may precipitate withdrawal symptoms.  When discontinuing OxyContin, gradually taper the dosage.  Do not abruptly discontinue OxyContin.
• OxyContin may impair the mental or physical abilities needed to perform potentially hazardous activities such as driving a car or operating machinery.  Warn patients not to drive or operate dangerous machinery unless they are tolerant to the effects of OxyContin and know how they will react to the medication.
• Not every urine drug test for “opioids” or “opiates” detects oxycodone reliably, especially those designed for in-office use.  Further, many laboratories will report urine drug concentrations below a specified “cut-off” value as “negative.” Therefore, if urine testing for oxycodone is considered in the clinical management of an individual patient, ensure that the sensitivity and specificity of the assay is appropriate, and consider the limitations of the testing used when interpreting results.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

• OxyContin may increase the risk of serious adverse reactions such as those observed with other opioid analgesics, including respiratory depression, apnea, respiratory arrest, circulatory depression, hypotension, or shock.
• The most common adverse reactions (> 5%) reported by adult patients in clinical trials comparing OxyContin with placebo are constipation, nausea, somnolence, dizziness, pruritus, vomiting, headache, dry mouth, asthenia, and sweating.

Please read Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning.

Intermezzo is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to zolpidem. Observed reactions with zolpidem include anaphylaxis and angioedema.

Co-administration with Intermezzo and other CNS depressants increases the risk of CNS depression. Intermezzo should not be taken with alcohol. The use of Intermezzo with other sedative-hypnotics (including other zolpidem products) at bedtime or the middle of the night is not recommended.

The risk of next-day driving impairment (and psychomotor impairment) is increased if Intermezzo is taken with less than 4 hours of bedtime remaining; if higher than recommended dose is taken; if co administered with other CNS depressants; or co-administered with other drugs that increase the blood levels of zolpidem. A small negative effect on SDLP (standard deviation of lateral position, a measure of driving impairment) may remain in some patients 4 hours after taking Intermezzo, such that a potential negative effect on driving cannot be completely excluded.

The failure of insomnia to remit after 7 to 10 days of treatment may indicate the presence of a primary psychiatric and/or medical illness that should be evaluated.

Cases of angioedema involving the tongue, glottis, or larynx have been reported in patients after taking the first or subsequent doses of zolpidem. Some patients have had additional symptoms such as dyspnea, throat closing, or nausea and vomiting that suggest anaphylaxis. Some patients have required medical therapy in the emergency department. Angioedema, and additional symptoms suggesting anaphylaxis, may occur in patients taking zolpidem and may be fatal. Patients who develop angioedema or anaphylaxis should not be rechallenged.

Abnormal thinking and behavior changes have been reported in patients treated with a sedative-hypnotic including zolpidem. Complex behaviors, including driving or eating while not fully awake, with amnesia for the event, as well as visual and auditory hallucinations and abnormal behaviors such as decreased inhibition, bizarre behavior, agitation, and depersonalization may occur. Although behaviors such as “sleep-driving” have occurred with zolpidem alone at therapeutic doses, the co-administration of zolpidem with alcohol and other CNS depressants increases the risk of such behaviors, as does the use of zolpidem at doses exceeding the maximum recommended dose. Discontinuation of Intermezzo should be strongly considered for patients reporting a “sleep-driving” episode.

In primarily depressed patients, worsening of depression, including suicidal thoughts and actions (including completed suicides) have been reported with the use of sedative-hypnotics. Intentional overdosage is more common in this group of patients; therefore, protective measures may be required and prescribe the least amount of Intermezzo that is feasible.

Because persons with a history of addiction to or abuse of drugs or alcohol are at increased risk for misuse, abuse, and addiction of zolpidem, they should be monitored carefully when receiving Intermezzo. Zolpidem tartrate is a Schedule IV controlled substance. Post-marketing reports of abuse, dependence, and withdrawal resulting from use of oral zolpidem tartrate have been received. Zolpidem has produced withdrawal signs and symptoms following a rapid dose decrease or abrupt discontinuation.

The most commonly observed adverse reactions (>1%) were headache (Intermezzo 3%, placebo 1%), nausea (1% for both patient groups), and fatigue (Intermezzo 1%, placebo 0%).