The high dose deaths across the country associated to Fentanyl, an effective prescription pain-killer that has been pushed into the illegal drug supply, seem to be slowing.”We’ve seen a decline in the number of deaths. I won’t say it’s definitely over, but it looks like this fight is declining,” said John P. Walters, the director of National Drug Control Policy.

Walters, who was in Chicago for a forum on teen drug use and technology, said the slowdown started a couple of weeks ago.

Deaths connected to Fentanyl

Fatal overdoses from heroin or cocaine laced with fentanyl have been reported in eight states. Fentanyl is hundreds of times stronger than morphine and heroin and can kill in an instant.

Deaths connected to fentanyl in Chicago were first reported in February. In Cook County, toxicology reports have so far linked about 120 fatal drug overdoses to fentanyl.

Chicago Police said Tuesday that the deaths had slowed since June when local and federal authorities busted up a street-gang drug operation at the Dearborn Homes on the South Side.

“We shut them down completely,” said Frank Limon, chief of organized crime for Chicago Police. “It had a dramatic impact.”

About 10 people died around the start of the year from drugs that investigators believe were purchased at the Dearborn Homes. The deaths were the first major cluster to come to the attention of authorities.

An investigation into a Mexican lab suspected of manufacturing fentanyl also is continuing, Walters said. The lab was shut down in May and five people were arrested. Authorities suspect it could be the source of fentanyl coming into the United States.

Walters’ office has also planned a national conference at the month end in Philadelphia to discuss how to assist in reducing a demand for heroin by getting help for addicts.

The reason of death in two cases was due to overdose of fentanyl. The deceased had used fentanyl patches that had been prescribed for someone else. The three organizations met to discuss the issues raised by the chief coroner and have jointly agreed to inform their registrants about the potential for misuse and abuse of both used and unused patches.A fentanyl patch is used to provide continuous opioid pain killer for 72 hours, after which it should be removed and replaced with a new patch. A used fentanyl patch may contain enough residual drug to cause harm. Studies have found that after three days of continuous use, fentanyl patches may still contain 30% to 50% or more of the labelled amount of fentanyl. Therefore, the appropriate disposal of used and unused patches is imperative in health care facilities and in the community.

More information on Fentanyl

The manufacturer’s product monograph recommends flushing used and unused patches down the toilet. Given concerns about the environmental impact of drugs in the water supply, other disposal methods should be considered when possible. In addition, flushing is not a suitable alternative in locations with septic fields or septic tanks.

Health care facilities should establish policies for the proper disposal of fentanyl patches. Policies should instruct the nurse to remove the patch from the patient and fold the patch in half so the adhesive backing is folded together and adheres to itself. The patch should then be disposed of in a sharps container. Destruction must render the product unusable so that the patch does not represent a hazard to others. This disposal should be documented on the patient’s record.

Patients in the community who have leftover, unused or expired fentanyl patches should be encouraged to return them to the dispensing pharmacy for appropriate disposal.

Health care providers must educate patients and caregivers about the safe administration, removal and disposal of fentanyl patches. Gloves should be worn when handling the patch. The product monograph indicates that the gel from the drug reservoir must not accidentally touch the skin; if it does, the skin must be flushed with water. Soap, alcohol and other solvents should not be used to take out the gel from the skin because they may boost the drug’s ability to go through the skin.