Fentanyl-laced prescription drugs worry authorities

Indianapolis, Indiana – Although fentanyl is intended to be used to treat pain, it is more potent than morphine and can be quite harmful if overused.

According to public health officials, drug dealers are mixing fentanyl into prescription medications, which puts unknowing consumers at risk of overdosing.

“It can be a Xanax, it can be an Adderall. Any kind of pill where there is an ability to make a fake-pressed pill with a device you can purchase and mix fentanyl in, mix whatever drug in to make it look like a Xanax and it’s not a Xanax,” said Justin Phillips, CEO and founder of Overdose Lifeline.

Phillips is concerned that those who are unable or unwilling to obtain a prescription for these drugs would wind up purchasing them illegally.

“That I’ve been told by my friend that xanax can help me with my anxiety and make me feel better and my friend has some xanax for me to try,” adds Phillips.

Two out of every five fentanyl-laced pills, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, contain a fatal amount. Phillips advises against ever buying prescription medicines from a source other than a pharmacy for this reason.

“My intention is to get you to like what you purchased from me, it’s just that I’m not a chemist, I don’t have the proper tools for mixing chemicals safely, so one pill has a bunch of fentanyl and it’s going to kill me, and one pill has none, but there is no way of knowing,” said Phillips.

Test strips for naloxone and fentanyl are available for free from Overdose Lifeline. These can be used to check any prescription medication for fentanyl residue.