One Pill Can Kill

Illicit pills manufactured to look like prescription opioids like Oxycodone or Percocet are a source of an epidemic of poisonings in the US. Black market pills containing the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl have flooded the US market.

The only safe prescription pills are ones obtained from a pharmacy

Between 2018 to the end of 2021 pills containing fentanyl seized by law enforcement increased 50-fold according to data from the National Instutte on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

“For the first time we can see this rapid rise in pills adulterated with fentanyl, which raises red flags for increasing risk of harm in a population that is possibly less experienced with opioids,” says Joseph J. Palamar, PhD, MPH, associate professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “We absolutely need more harm reduction strategies, such as naloxone distribution and fentanyl test strips, as well as widespread education about the risk of pills that are not coming from a pharmacy. The immediate message here is that pills illegally obtained can contain fentanyl.” (Tom Valentino, Digital Managing Editor, Addiction Professional, 04/01/2022)