FENTANYL

Fentanyl was first synthesized in Belgium in the late 1950s and in the 1960s was introduced into medical practice as an intravenous anaesthetic. Other analogues of fentanyl have been synthesized and introduced into medical practice with fentanyls now being extensively used in anaesthesia and analgesia(5). Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, a specific ?-agonist and as an analgesic it has approximately 80 times the potency of morphine. Fentanyl in high doses causes euphoria, marked muscular rigidity and respiratory depression(6). In view of the fact that the effects of acting fentanyls are indistinguishable from those produced by nasal inhalation of street heroin, except that fentanyl is much more potent, fentanyl has high abuse potential(7). In the late 1970s fentanyl appeared in the illicit drug market(6) with over 12 different analogues identified in the US drug traffic(5). These fentanyl analogues can be sold as synthetic heroin or China white(6). Intravenous administration is most commonly used but fentanyl can also be smoked or snorted(5).