Richard A. Baxter, M.D., Receives OR Excellence Award For Use Of EXPAREL®

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCRX) today announced that prominent Seattle-based plastic surgeon Richard A. Baxter, M.D., FACS was recognized by Outpatient Surgery magazine for his use of EXPAREL ^® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) for postsurgical pain management. The award for “Best Use of Opioid Alternatives” will be presented during the OR Excellence Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. from October 17 to 19.

An early adopter of EXPAREL, Dr. Baxter has been using the non-opioid local analgesic for several months to control postsurgical pain in patients undergoing abdominoplasty and breast augmentation procedures, which he says has reduced his opioid use by at least 50 percent.

“It has always been important to me to stay on the cutting edge of any advances that can help improve my patients’ postsurgical experience and control their discomfort during the healing process,” said Dr. Baxter, owner and medical director of Richard A. Baxter Plastic Surgery Clinic. “As we know, opioids are effective analgesics, but their associated side effects can pose multiple issues during the recovery process. I have used EXPAREL in more than 35 cases to date and my patients are in remarkably less discomfort, taking fewer opioids and are comfortable enough to begin to ambulate much sooner than we have previously seen.”

Also at the OR Excellence conference, Eugene R. Viscusi, M.D., anesthesiologist and director of acute pain management at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, will speak on emerging options in non-opioid analgesia in a CME presentation.

“As an anesthesiologist and pain specialist, I recognize that pain management begins both before and during the anesthetic - not just after the operation,” said Dr. Viscusi. “Although they can be effective analgesics, opioids have problematic side effects. I always try to minimize reliance on opioids with a foundation of non-opioid analgesics such as local anesthetics, like EXPAREL; acetaminophen; and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents.”

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