Fentanyl News and Research

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Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opiate analgesic similar to but more potent than morphine. It is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, or to manage pain after surgery. It is also sometimes used to treat people with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to opiates. It is a schedule II prescription drug.

GPs must be better-equipped to tackle chronic opioid use

GPs must be better-equipped to support patients to manage the psychological challenge of reducing their opioid use - according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

13 May 2019

Addiction medicine mostly prescribed to whites, even as opioid deaths rose among blacks

White drug users addicted to heroin, fentanyl and other opioids have had near-exclusive access to buprenorphine, a drug that curbs the craving for opioids and reduces the chance of a fatal overdose.

8 May 2019

Meth vs. opioids: America has two drug epidemics, but focuses on one

Kim had been wine tasting with a friend in Sonoma, Calif. They got into an argument in the car that night and Kim thought someone was following them. She was utterly convinced. And she had to get away.

7 May 2019

Study shines light on geographic variation in pediatric deaths from opioid poisonings

A new study shines light on pediatric opioid deaths by U.S. region, the first time a study of this nature has been conducted. Findings from the study will be presented during the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2019 Meeting, taking place on April 24 - May 1 in Baltimore.

27 Apr 2019

Drug overdoses among adolescents and young adults on the rise

In American adolescents and young adults, death rates from drug poisoning, particularly from opioids, have sharply increased over the last 10 years, according to new research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

25 Apr 2019

FDA grants approval of first generic naloxone nasal spray to treat opioid overdose

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted final approval of the first generic naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray, commonly known as Narcan, a life-saving medication that can stop or reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

22 Apr 2019

Cannabis users could be more tolerant to anesthesia agents

Researchers from Colorado have found that people who regularly use cannabis are more likely to be tolerant to anesthetic agents and may require higher doses to achieve same effects as non users.

15 Apr 2019

Study of OUD treatment creates new metric to illustrate disadvantaged areas in the U.S.

Ohio, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia have the highest disparity between opioid-related deaths and access to treatment providers for opioid use disorder in the U.S.

10 Apr 2019

FDA and CBP collaborate to protect public health and safety

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection leaders signed an agreement today to maximize inspection and detection capabilities in order to prevent illegal and harmful products entering the U.S. through the nation's International Mail Facilities and Ports of Entry that pose a threat to public health.

4 Apr 2019

Single dose long lasting opioid antidote on the horizon

Recent reports have shown a 1,000 percent rise in opioid abuse (especially synthetic drug Fentanyl) in the United States over the past one decade. In 2017 for example there have been 47,000 deaths attributed to opioid overdose says the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

31 Mar 2019

UTSA professor helps train first responders to detect prescription opioid overdoses

James Bray, professor and chair of the UTSA Department of Psychology, is working on a research project with agencies in Houston to train first responders in how to detect prescription opioid overdoses and provide life-saving outreach services.

20 Mar 2019

US opioid prescriptions drop by a half but it’s not all good news

The number of opioid prescriptions issued each month in the US dropped to less than a half. However, experts remain concerned about the number of high-risk prescriptions.

15 Mar 2019

Blunting emotional component associated with pain

Chronic pain involves more than just hurting. People suffering from pain often experience sadness, depression and lethargy. That's one reason opioids can be so addictive -- they not only dampen the pain but also make people feel euphoric.

13 Mar 2019

Many heroin users are not prepared to prevent or treat fentanyl-related overdoses, study finds

Most heroin users in Baltimore, a city heavily affected by the opioid epidemic, recognize that the heroin they buy is now almost always laced with the highly dangerous synthetic opioid fentanyl, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

6 Mar 2019

More states say doctors must offer overdose reversal drug along with opioids

In a growing number of states, patients who get opioids for serious pain may leave their doctors' offices with a second prescription — for naloxone, a drug that can save their lives if they overdose on the powerful painkillers.

21 Feb 2019

The United States records highest drug overdose death rates

In the most comprehensive international comparison of its kind, a USC study found that the United States has the highest drug overdose death rates among a set of high-income countries.

21 Feb 2019

Discharged, dismissed: ERs often miss chance to set overdose survivors on ‘better path’

The last time heroin landed Marissa Angerer in a Midland, Texas, emergency room — naked and unconscious — was May 2016. But that wasn't her first drug-related interaction with the health system.

15 Feb 2019

Changing nature of opioid epidemic could be responsible for increase in overdose deaths

The opioid epidemic in the United States could be responsible for 700,000 overdose deaths between 2016 and 2025, according to a new study published today in JAMA Network Open.

8 Feb 2019

What ‘dope sick’ really feels like

Detoxing off heroin or opioids without medication is sheer hell. I should know. For many users, full-blown withdrawal is often foreshadowed by a yawn, or perhaps a runny nose, a sore back, sensitive skin or a restless leg. For me, the telltale sign that the heroin was wearing off was a slight tingling sensation when I urinated.