Recently, the CDC released data that confirmed over 100,000 Americans had lost their lives to a drug overdose in the 12-month period between April 2020 and April 2021. This tragic record number of deaths due to drugs was driven, according to the report, to impact of the COVID-19 pandemic but more so to the rise in fentanyl.   What is Fentanyl and Why is it Dangerous? Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid. It is similar to the opioid morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. While fentanyl is a prescription opioid often used to treat acute and chronic pain, it is also often manufactured illegally. It is this illegal and illicit use of fentanyl that has experts alarmed [...]

There is almost no conversation that takes place currently regarding America’s opioid epidemic that doesn’t mention fentanyl. Years ago, during the rise of the opioid crisis, the typical discussion involving opioids would center around the major scourge of the opioid epidemic- OxyContin. It might include other prescription narcotics drugs such as oxycodone, Percocet, or Hydrocodone. It would no doubt turn to illicit street drugs like heroin or morphine. However, over the last few years, fentanyl has dominated any discussion of the ongoing opioid crisis in America.   Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but 50 to 100 times more potent.   Fentanyl is a prescription drug that typically is used to treat patients with severe [...]