Safety and efficacy of controlled-release oxycodone: A systematic literature review

Prescriptions for controlled-release oxycodone. a narcotic analgesic, recently contributed to a dramatic increase in pharmacy costs for a large private insurance company To determine whether this agent offered clinical benefits over other available drugs that would justify its significantly greater cost, a systematic review of 16 clinical trials was undertaken. The review suggested that immediate-release and controlled-release preparations of oxycodone have similar efficacy and comparable side effect profiles. Controlled-release oxycodone has the advantage of less frequent dosing than immediate-release oxycodone however, other agents may be dosed infrequently at much lower costs. For patients requiring a controlled-release opioid treatment, controlled-release morphine and methadone should be considered because they appear to be as effective as oxycodone and cost considerably less. controlled-release oxycodone may be appropriate for some patients, particularly if they cannot tolerate other controlled-release or long-acting opioid analgesics.