The risks of long-term opioid use are well-documented. However, whether switching from a full opioid agonist to the partial opioid agonist buprenorphine improves pain-related outcomes and maintains acceptable side effects in patients with chronic pain remains uncertain. This systematic review of 22 studies focusing on the outcomes of switching to buprenorphine indicates, with low-quality evidence, that buprenorphine rotation can reduce pain without causing opioid withdrawal or other serious adverse effects, thereby helping to mitigate the harms associated with long-term opioid therapy.
PainSA is a chapter of the International Association for the Study of Pain. Our mission is to improve all aspects of pain management in Southern Africa.
We are a multidisciplinary society whose membership includes all healthcare professionals