• Pilot study.
  

• The following outcome variables were assessed:
  
• average pain intensity in the last 24 hours
  
• acceptability of analgesic therapy
  
• number of nighttime awakenings due to pain last night
  
• quality of sleep
  
• bowel status during the last 24 hours
  
• pain management evaluation
  
• symptom evaluation
  
• staff evaluation of functional independence
  
• resident-defined activity impairment scale
  
• treatment satisfaction questionnaire
  
• Health Assessment Questionnaire
  
• Timed "Up & Go" evaluation
  
• trail making test
  
• digit span test
  
• end of study global evaluation of therapeutic response
  
• modified mini-mental state
  
• examination and geriatric depression scale.
  
• The following measures of health resource utilization were assessed:
  
• use of analgesic medications (usual care plus BTDS) by product type
  
• use of analgesic medications (usual care plus BTDS) by medication and dosage form
  
• use of pain-related adjuvant medications by product type
  
• number of phone calls to physicians for pain management
  
• number of physician visits for pain management
  
• and use of medications for the treatment of drug-related adverse events.
  

Buprenorphine is a synthetic opioid analgesic with over twenty-five years of international clinical experience indicating it to be safe and effective in a variety of therapeutic situations for the relief of moderate to severe pain. Transdermal systems may offer advantages over currently indicated oral products including ease and convenience of use, improved compliance, possible reduction in patient care, and prolonged and consistent delivery of drug.