M.C. Sullivan, RN, MTS, JD Hundreds of thousands of cancer patients will soon have the benefit of a new pain medication delivery system. The new medication Actiq is a flavored narcotic lozenge on a stick. When patients place the medication between their gums and cheek, the narcotic enters their bloodstream almost immediately.
Absorption occurs through the mucous membranes that line the mouth cavity.
The new delivery system represents significant progress for two categories of patients. It is a major advance in the treatment of excruciating cancer pain and a remarkable development for the 800,000 Americans who suffer from chronic debilitating pain. As noted, the taste of fentanyl is almost intolerable, so the manufacturers of the Actiq lozenge have flavored it with a sweet raspberry flavor. The disguised taste should not, however, belie the efficacy or seriousness of the drug. The president of Anesta, the pharmaceutical company that makes Actiq, has requested that the medication not be identified as a lollipop.