Which drug is used as a transdermal analgesic patch and as an anesthetic adjunct?

• A. Aminopentamide
• B. Fentanyl
• C. Pilocarpine
• D. Epinephrine

Answer: (B)

Fentanyl is the drug that fits both roles. It’s a highly potent synthetic opioid whose high lipophilicity makes it suitable for delivery via a transdermal patch, providing steady, long-lasting analgesia as the patch releases drug over days. It’s also a mainstay in anesthesia as an analgesic adjunct, used to deepen and prolong analgesia during surgery and to reduce the amount of other anesthetics needed.

The other options don’t fit this dual use. Aminopentamide is an antimuscarinic used for GI motility issues, not analgesia. Pilocarpine is a muscarinic agonist used for glaucoma or to stimulate secretions, not as an analgesic or anesthetic adjunct. Epinephrine is a vasoconstrictor used to prolong local anesthetic effects and to manage bleeding or cardiac support, but it isn’t used as a transdermal analgesic patch.