Duragesic and Shingrix

• Generic Name: fentanyl
• Dosage Forms: patch, transdermal system
• Other Brand Names: Duragesic, Abstral, Fentora, Subsys, Actiq, Ionsys, Lazanda, Onsolis, Sublimaze

Duragesic is a skin patch containing fentanyl, an opioid pain medication. An opioid is sometimes called a narcotic.

Duragesic patches are a strong prescription pain medicine. The patches are used to treat moderate to severe chronic pain in opioid-tolerant patients, severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment.

Duragesic patches are used when other pain treatments such as non-opioid pain medicines or immediate-release opioid medicines do not treat your pain well enough or you cannot tolerate them.

Duragesic patches are not for treating mild or occasional pain or pain from surgery. The patches are not for use to treat pain that is not around-the-clock.

• Generic Name: zoster vaccine, inactivated
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Shingrix

Shingrix is a vaccine used for the prevention of herpes zoster. Herpes zoster is caused by the same virus (varicella) that causes chickenpox in children. When this virus becomes active again, it can cause herpes zoster, or shingles. Shingrix helps prevent shingles.

Shingrix works by exposing you to a small dose of inactive virus, which causes the body to develop immunity to the disease. This vaccine will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.

Shingrix is used to prevent herpes zoster virus (shingles) in people age 50 and older, including people who previously received a live zoster vaccine (Zostavax).

Shingrix will not treat chickenpox, shingles, or nerve pain caused by shingles (post-herpetic neuralgia).