For an Old Treat Lollies as Medicine Lollies , lolly pops, or whatever you want to call them, are sweet, long-lasting, hard candy treats. The Food and Drug Administration approved a product called Actiq for cancer patients experiencing sudden pain against which oral narcotics aren't effective. Actiq's active ingredient is fentanyl citrate, a potent narcotic, which is delivered in a sugar-flavored lozenge. We know that lollies take a while to consume, and that's what apparently attracted doctors to this unique delivery system. Patients suck on the spiked hard candy until the medicine is consumed, which takes about 15 minutes.
Pain relief starts almost immediately and lasts for several hours.
Don't look for these lollies at your local pharmacy, though. Because the active ingredient in the lollipops is particularly strong and can have serious side effects, the FDA required makers of the lollies to take special precautions. Doctors and patients' families will receive strong warnings, and the potent pops come in a locked pack. Due to the potential appeal to children confusing the drug with candy, prescriptions are accompanied by a medicine chest lock. The lolly pops will further be put in childproof packages that require scissors to open.