Abuse of Painkiller Fentanyl Increases Nationwide

By Jim Greene

Published on September 23, 2009

Abuse of the powerful painkiller Fentanyl is on the rise across the country, due primarily to misuse of prescription drug patches.

Fentanyl is similar to morphine, but is much stronger, so it is often prescribed for patients who have developed a tolerance to other opiates. It is most useful for serious post-surgical pain and in cancer treatment programs. Because of its powerful effects, a Fentanyl overdose can be fatal. Legal Fentanyl is marketed in tablet form, in transdermal patches, and as an injection. The illegal street version is normally produced in powder form. When mixed with heroin or cocaine, the combination becomes far more powerful and potentially lethal.

Several people have overdosed and died through intentional misuse of Fentanyl patches, which are designed to release small amounts of the medication through the skin. These people have extracted the gel from the patches and ingested or injected several days' worth of the drug at once.

Accidental overdoses and deaths have occurred among legitimate Fentanyl users, according to several lawsuits that have been filed. In some of the cases, it is alleged that victims did not receive proper dosage information. In others, manufacturers are faulted for delays in recalling defective Fentanyl patches that were alleged to be subject to leakage.

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