Abstract

Transdermal buprenorphine is indicated for chronic pain control, and, unlike oxycodone or morphine, buprenorphine is a Schedule III (rather than II) substance [1]. It provides effective analgesia and has relatively low “likeability” among recreational drug users [2,3]. Control of postoperative pain can be challenging, so it is important to treat postoperative pain effectively to promote early ambulation and rehabilitation efforts. However, the use of oral opioids for postsurgical pain control is coming under increasing scrutiny. A barrier to the use of transdermal buprenorphine for managing acute postsurgical pain may be that it is currently an off-label indication