Tag: Fentanyl

Prosecutors: Man Dealt Elephant Sedative in Overdose Case

An Ohio man was accused of distributing an elephant sedative to people, which, according to federal prosecutors, resulted in about two dozen overdoses in a West Virginia city.

On Monday, prosecutors charged 22-year-old Bruce Lamar Griggs of Akron, Ohio, with distributing carfentanil and fentanyl, local news organizations reported.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carfentanil is an elephant sedative that is 100 times more potent than fentanyl. Fentanyl is an opioid used as part of anesthesia to help prevent pain.

In September, the DEA issued a public warning about the health and safety risks of carfentanil.

“DEA, local law enforcement and first responders have recently seen the presence of carfentanil, which has been linked to a significant number of overdose deaths in various parts of the country,” the DEA’s release stated. “Improper handling of carfentanil, as well as fentanyl and other fentanyl-related compounds, has deadly consequences.”

Griggs was charged Aug. 26 with heroin distribution in connection with 27 overdoses that resulted in two deaths on Aug. 15 in Huntington, West Virginia.

Prosecutors also filed a motion for a guilty plea hearing on Monday. The date for the hearing has yet to be released.

Nearly 1 in 3 on Medicare Got Commonly Abused Opioids

A new report says nearly 12 million Medicare beneficiaries received at least one prescription for an opioid painkiller last year at a cost of $4.1 billion. Federal data show how common the addictive drugs are in many older Americans’ medicine cabinets.

With an overdose epidemic worsening, nearly one-third of Medicare beneficiaries received at least one prescription for commonly abused opioids such as OxyContin and fentanyl in 2015. Those who did received an average of five such prescriptions or refills.

The report was released Wednesday to The Associated Press by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Medicare spokesman Aaron Albright says agency officials are reviewing the report closely.

Charleston Neurologist Pleads Guilty in Records Case

A Charleston neurologist has pleaded guilty to a federal record-keeping violation.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that Dr. Iraj Derakhshan admitted in federal court in Charleston on Thursday that he dispensed a prescription painkiller to a patient last June without reporting it.

Prosecutors say he distributed Fentanyl to a patient last summer after another patient had brought him their remaining prescription of the opioid drug after having an adverse reaction.

Derakhshan faces up to four years in prison. Sentencing has been set for July 8.

He is appealing a three-year suspension of his medical license by the state Board of Medicine.

Fatal Overdoses Caused by Fentanyl Increase in West Virginia

Fatal overdoses linked to a powerful opioid nearly tripled in West Virginia last year.The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that overdoses caused by…

Fatal overdoses linked to a powerful opioid nearly tripled in West Virginia last year.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that overdoses caused by fentanyl increased from 55 deaths in 2014 to 154 deaths last year.

West Virginia’s Bureau of Public Health commissioner Dr. Rahul Gupta says people can overdose and die more quickly with fentanyl. The drug is an opioid that is sometimes laced with heroin and is stronger than prescription morphine.

Kanawha and Cabell counties had the most fentanyl-related deaths with 33 each.

West Virginia has the highest drug overdose death rate in the nation. According to the state Health Statistics Center, at last count, 643 people died of drug overdoses in West Virginia in 2015. That number could increase as death reports from December continue to come in.

ODH Works with CDC to Address Increase in Fentanyl-Related Drug Overdose Deaths

Unintentional fentanyl-related drug overdose deaths in Ohio increased by almost six-fold in one year, beginning in 2013. Late last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Health, analyzed available data to assess risk factors for overdose.

Yesterday, the CDC released a report that found the “risk factors for fentanyl-related overdose deaths included: male gender, white race, some college or less education, history of a substance abuse problem, and a
current mental health issue.”

Other risk factors, according to a Tuesday press release, include “recent release from an institution within the last month (e.g., jail, hospital, or treatment facility), and a history of a high-dose opioid prescription.”

Legal if prescribed, fentanyl is a powerful, synthetic opiate, often used during anesthesia, or to manage pain after surgery, according to the Ohio Department of Health. It is also up to 30 to 50 times more potent than
heroin, according to a press release from the ODH.

Ohio’s new initiatives to combat drug overdoses include investing an additional $500,000 per year to purchase naloxone (an overdose antidote), promoting drug takeback opportunities, and increasing public
aware campaigns to prevent drug abuse before it starts.
 

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Benedum Foundation.

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