Facing down America's fentanyl epidemic

Counterfeit drugs shipped from China and routed through Canada and Mexico are increasingly being intercepted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Among them is fentanyl, a synthetic opioid and one of the most dangerous and deadliest drugs on the streets.

Fentanyl pops up as standalone or mixed, illegally sold as the source of an illicit high or even blended into pills without the user's knowledge.

According to a new analysis by the Partnership for Safe Medicines, illegal fentanyl and its analogs have surfaced through incidents involving counterfeit drugs in 40 states and counting. Most recently, authorities in New York seized nearly 200 pounds of the illicit substance, enough to make 32 million lethal doses.

This new report details the challenges faced by federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies in having the resources to identify and intercept the increasing shipment volume. The reality is that Chinese manufacturers ship illegal fentanyl outside the legitimate supply chain, flooding the streets with counterfeit fentanyl both in bulk form for pill-making and in finished pills.

In hospital settings, fentanyl is known as a fast-acting medication used as a first-line treatment for surgical patients in the operating room and also for those experiencing pain in the recovery room. Patients receiving fentanyl intravenously must be on a heart monitor with their vital signs closely monitored. This drug is so potent and so fast-acting that it can cause a patient to stop breathing if administered in too high a dose.