Fentanyl is an opioid pain medication, sometimes called a narcotic.
Fentanyl patches are a strong prescription pain medicine. The patches are used to treat moderate to severe chronic pain around the clock.
Fentanyl 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.
Fentanyl 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.
