Particular caution should be exercised during dose titration in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other medical conditions predisposing them to respiratory depression (e.g. myasthenia gravis), because of the risk of further respiratory depression which could lead to respiratory failure.1
The starting dose of Abstral® is 100 micrograms in all cases, titrating upwards as shown in the algorithm above. This includes patients switching to Abstral® from other opioids (including other transmucosal fentanyls) for the treatment of BTcP.
It is important to be aware that the pharmacokinetics of these products vary and so they are not interchangeable. This applies to different formulations of fentanyl and different brands of fentanyl tablets.2
*Abstral® should only be administered to patients who are considered tolerant to their opioid therapy for persistent cancer pain. Patients can be considered opioid tolerant if they take at least 60 mg of oral morphine daily, at least 25 micrograms of transdermal fentanyl per hour, at least 30 mg of oxycodone daily, at least 8 mg of oral hydromorphone daily or an equianalgesic dose of another opioid for a week or longer.1