Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Aetna, and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Join Together in a Program to Reduce Opioid Exposure for Patients Undergoing Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Aetna will reimburse oral surgeons enrolled in the program for their use of EXPAREL in impacted third molar extraction cases performed once the surgeons have completed training on use of the product.
“In collaborating with AAOMS and Pacira, Aetna aims to take opioids out of the medicine cabinet and provide an effective non-opioid pain management alternative for our members undergoing oral surgery,” said Dr.
According to a recent JAMA Surgery study, more than two-thirds of postsurgical patients report unused prescription opioids—and the majority indicate that these medications are neither safely stored nor disposed of—suggesting a dangerous accumulation of opioids in the home, which are available for potential diversion or misuse.1
“In light of our nation’s opioid epidemic, the
Following a successful demonstration of opioid reduction among enrolled oral surgeons, Aetna and Pacira will consider expanding the use of EXPAREL in similar programs across other surgical procedures as appropriate.
1. JAMA Surg. Published online
About Pacira
About EXPAREL®
EXPAREL (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) is currently indicated for single-dose infiltration into the surgical site to produce postsurgical analgesia. The product combines bupivacaine with DepoFoam®, a proven product delivery technology that delivers medication over a desired period of time. EXPAREL represents the first and only multivesicular liposome local anesthetic that can be utilized in the peri- or postsurgical setting. By utilizing the DepoFoam platform, a single dose of EXPAREL delivers bupivacaine over time, providing significant reductions in cumulative pain score with up to a 45 percent decrease in opioid consumption; the clinical benefit of the opioid reduction was not demonstrated. Additional information is available at www.EXPAREL.com.
Important Safety Information
EXPAREL is contraindicated in obstetrical paracervical block anesthesia. EXPAREL has not been studied for use in patients younger than 18 years of age. Non-bupivacaine-based local anesthetics, including lidocaine, may cause an immediate release of bupivacaine from EXPAREL if administered together locally. The administration of EXPAREL may follow the administration of lidocaine after a delay of 20 minutes or more. Other formulations of bupivacaine should not be administered within 96 hours following administration of EXPAREL. Monitoring of cardiovascular and neurological status, as well as vital signs should be performed during and after injection of EXPAREL as with other local anesthetic products. Because amide-type local anesthetics, such as bupivacaine, are metabolized by the liver, EXPAREL should be used cautiously in patients with hepatic disease. Patients with severe hepatic disease, because of their inability to metabolize local anesthetics normally, are at a greater risk of developing toxic plasma concentrations. In clinical trials, the most common adverse reactions (incidence greater-than or equal to 10%) following EXPAREL administration were nausea, constipation, and vomiting.
Please see the full Prescribing Information for more details available at: http://www.exparel.com/hcp/pdf/EXPAREL_Prescribing_Information.pdf.
About AAOMS
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Media Contacts:Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Susan Mesco , (908) 391-8283 susan.mesco@pacira.com Coyne Public RelationsAlyssa Schneider , (973) 588-2270 aschneider@coynepr.com