Skyrocketing Fentanyl Death Rate is Unprecedented

The opioid epidemic has been raging through communities across the United States; the death toll of overdoses is up an incomprehensible rate of 22%; about 64,000 people died in 2016 from drug overdoses. A story in the New York Times reports that drug overdose is expected to remain the leading cause of death for Americans under age 50, thanks to the prevalence of fentanyl and its analogues. The death toll from fentanyl overdose more than doubled from 2015 to 2016, as did deaths from cocaine and methamphetamine. Americans are dying at a faster rate than during the H.I.V. epidemic.

What is fentanyl, anyway?

One of the challenges facing law enforcement and first responders is the lethal nature of fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic drug. Its ability to cross the blood brain barrier to produce almost immediate pain relief for individuals with breakthrough cancer pain makes it exceptionally effective. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) describes fentanyl as a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is like morphine, but 50 to 100 times more potent. Fentanyl is so dangerous because its molecules bind with the opioid receptors in the areas of the brain that control breathing.

A contributing factor to the high number of overdose deaths is the fact that fentanyl is being added to street drugs, such as heroin or cocaine, to boost the potency of those drugs. If an individual is unaware that the drug they are taking has been laced with fentanyl, they can overdose more easily than they might have had they taken the drug without it being spiked with fentanyl.

The pharmaceutical companies share in the blame for the outbreak

What is being called the worst drug epidemic in U.S. history can be traced back to Big Pharma making opioid pain killers readily available to the American people starting in the late 1990s. Many doctors were told that these painkillers would not be addictive (despite the fact that they were made to mimic opiates, the most addictive Schedule I drugs there are).

Ten years ago, in 2007, Purdue Pharma, manufacturer of OxyContin, paid $600 million in fines to resolve criminal charges over the “misbranding” of its product. They had been misleading doctors and patients with claims that their product was not likely to be addictive than traditional narcotics. They paid that hefty fine, but still managed to rake in $3 billion by 2010.

Today, the battle that rages hardest in this country is against Insys Therapeutics, manufacturers of the fentanyl spray Subsys. Subsys was designed specifically for cancer patients, to treat their acute pain spikes. A massive drug-promotion scheme by Insys led to people who should not have been prescribed Subsys becoming addicted to it; some people lost their lives as a result. We invite you to read about that conspiracy here.

McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC is fighting back against the drug companies which promoted dangerous drugs in the quest for the Almighty dollar. If you were wrongfully prescribed a fentanyl drug, or were harmed because of a dangerous medical product, we want to help. Please call 803-327-7800, or fill out our contact form to learn more, or to schedule a free consultation.