Careful Considerations When Massaging Clients with Fentanyl Patches

A client uses fentanyl patches to manage chronic pain from a back injury. What kind of risk does this present to the therapist? And, if we’re not careful, the bigger risk might be to the client. Check it out on this episode of “I Have a Client Who . . .” with Ruth Werner.

Resources:

Cai, B., Engqvist, H. and Bredenberg, S. (2015) ‘Development and evaluation of a tampering resistant transdermal fentanyl patch’, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 488(1), pp. 102–107. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2015.04.061.

Commissioner, O. of the (2023) ‘Accidental Exposures to Fentanyl Patches Continue to Be Deadly to Children’, FDA [Preprint]. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/accidental-exposures-fentanyl-patches-continue-be-deadly-children (Accessed: 4 April 2024).

‘Drug Overdoses - Data Details’ (no date) Injury Facts. Available at: https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/drugoverdoses/data-details/ (Accessed: 4 April 2024).

Duragesic Transdermal: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing - WebMD (no date). Available at: https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-14008/duragesic-transdermal/details (Accessed: 4 April 2024).

Ep 186 – Fentanyl Patches: “I Have a Client Who . . .” Pathology Conversations with Ruth Werner (2022) Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals. Available at: https://www.abmp.com/podcasts/ep-186-fentanyl-patches-i-have-client-who-pathology-conversations-ruth-werner (Accessed: 4 April 2024).

Equity--OS-OPAE--1600, O. of P.A. and (no date) Fentanyl Exposure in Public Places | Washington State Department of Health. Available at: https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/opioids/fentanyl-exposure-public-places (Accessed: 4 April 2024).

Fentanyl Facts (2024). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/index.html (Accessed: 4 April 2024).

Khan, S. and Sharman, T. (2024) ‘Transdermal Medications’, in StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556035/ (Accessed: 4 April 2024).

Kim, T.S. et al. (2015) ‘Comparison of adhesion and dissolution of fentanyl patches: Fentadur® and Durogesic DTrans®’, Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation, 45(5), pp. 475–480. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40005-015-0195-y.

Mann, B., News, A.P.-K.H. and Bebinger, M. (2023) ‘In 2023 fentanyl overdoses ravaged the U.S. and fueled a new culture war fight’, NPR, 28 December. Available at: https://www.npr.org/2023/12/28/1220881380/overdose-fentanyl-drugs-addiction (Accessed: 4 April 2024).

Overdose (no date) Drug Policy Alliance. Available at: https://drugpolicy.org/overdose/ (Accessed: 5 April 2024).

Prausnitz, M.R. and Langer, R. (2008) ‘Transdermal drug delivery’, Nature Biotechnology, 26(11), pp. 1261–1268. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.1504.

Shearn, I.T. (2023) Fentanyl myth: Police cry overdose, facts prove otherwise, NJ Spotlight News. Available at: https://www.njspotlightnews.org/special-report/fentanyl-myth-police-cry-overdose-facts-prove-otherwise/ (Accessed: 5 April 2024).

Using Skin Patch Medicines Safely (no date). Available at: https://www.poison.org/articles/using-skin-patch-medicines-safely (Accessed: 4 April 2024).

Wong, W.F. et al. (2023) ‘Recent Advancement of Medical Patch for Transdermal Drug Delivery’, Medicina, 59(4), p. 778. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59040778.

Host:

Ruth Werner is a former massage therapist, a writer, and an NCBTMB-approved continuing education provider. She wrote A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology, now in its seventh edition, which is used in massage schools worldwide. Werner is also a long-time Massage & Bodywork columnist, most notably of the Pathology Perspectives column. Werner is also ABMP’s partner on Pocket Pathology, a web-based app and quick reference program that puts key information for nearly 200 common pathologies at your fingertips. Werner’s books are available at www.booksofdiscovery.com. And more information about her is available at www.ruthwerner.com.   

Sponsors:

Books of Discovery: www.booksofdiscovery.com  

Anatomy Trains: www.anatomytrains.com 

Elements Massage: www.elementsmassage.com/abmp

Earthlite: www.earthlite.com