Every child knows that a lollipop helps relieve the pain of a visit to the doctor.
The potent oral pain reliever is administered as a raspberry-flavored lozenge on a stick. The drug, fentanyl oralet, is absorbed through the mucous membranes of the mouth and provides swift pain relief. A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently recommended the FDA approve its use for the treatment of cancer pain. Based on what I've seen with postoperative patients, fentanyl oralet is comparable to IV morphine. The advantage is that it doesn't require an IV, which is a big advantage.