Advancement of opioid analgesia with controlled-release oxycodone

Optimal pharmacologic management of pain requires selection of the appropriate analgesic drug, prescription of the appropriate dose, administration of the analgesic by the appropriate route, scheduling of the appropriate dosing interval, prevention of persistent pain and relief of breakthrough pain, aggressive titration of the dose of the analgesic, prevention, anticipation, and management of analgesic side-effects, use of appropriate co-analgesic drugs, and consideration of sequential trials of opioid analgesics. Controlled-release oxycodone (CRO) has the characteristics of an 'ideal' opioid analgesic drug: short half-life, long duration of action, predictable pharmacokinetics, absence of clinically active metabolites, rapid onset of action, easy titration, no ceiling dose, minimal adverse effects, and minimal associated stigma. CRO has been shown to be effective in the control of pain caused by cancer, osteoarthritis, post-herpetic neuralgia, major surgery, and degenerative spine disease. (C) 2001 European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain.