Description and Brand Names

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

US Brand Name

  1. Targiniq ER

Canadian Brand Name

  1. Targin

Descriptions


Oxycodone and naloxone combination is used to treat pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment and when other pain medicines did not work well enough or cannot be tolerated.

Oxycodone belongs to the group of medicines called opioid analgesics (pain medicines). It acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to relieve pain. Naloxone is used to treat an opioid emergency such as an overdose or a possible overdose of a opioid medicine.

Oxycodone and naloxone combination should not be used if you need pain medicine for just a short time, such as when recovering from surgery. Do not use this medicine to relieve mild pain, or in situations when non-opioid medication is effective. This medicine should not be used to treat pain that you only have once in a while or "as needed".

When oxycodone is used for a long time, it may become habit-forming, causing mental or physical dependence. However, under the close supervision of healthcare providers, people who have continuing pain should not let the fear of dependence keep them from using opioids to relieve their pain. Mental dependence (addiction) is less likely to occur when opioids are used for this purpose. Physical dependence may lead to withdrawal symptoms if treatment is stopped suddenly. However, severe withdrawal symptoms can usually be prevented by gradually reducing the dose over a period of time before treatment is stopped completely.

This medicine is available only under a restricted distribution program called the Opioid Analgesic REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) program.