The fentanyl 'lozenge' story: from books to battlefield

Abstract

This article outlines the process that led to the introduction of the fentanyl lozenge for acute pain management. It starts with the historical context before discussing the recognition of an ongoing problem and then identifies the options that were considered. There follows a description of the pharmacology of fentanyl before describing the trial of concept that was conducted. This leads into an outline of the meetings and committees that had to be engaged with before the final acceptance and subsequent ushering in. The final section describes an option that was unsuccessful.

Keywords: Accident & Emergency Medicine; Pain Management.