Impact of Regulatory Interventions on Immediate Release Fentanyl and Alternatives Use in Spain: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

The prescription-controlled system was associated with a sharp decline in IRF use and a slight increase in IRM use, which can be attributed to restrictions applied to non-cancer patients. The increase in IRM use does not compensate for the decrease in IRF consumption, suggesting that other therapeutic strategies with opioids and non-opioid alternatives should be explored in these patients.