Ohio Police Issue Overdose Warning After Discovering Fentanyl Disguised as Prescription Meds

Dayton Police and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Range Task Force issued an overdose warning after seeing powdered Fentanyl pressed into pill form. The Fentanyl is being disguised as prescription medications—made all the more concerning by the fact that an opioid epidemic is currently killing thousands of people all over the country.

Following an investigation, the agencies learned that blue Fentanyl powder is being made to look like prescription oxycodone hydrochloride with M30 markings. The pills are then passed off as prescription oxycodone and then sold on the street.

This could lead to a fatal overdose, based on the amount and type of Fentanyl pressed into the pills. Click the link to see Daytona Beach's top rehab placement programs.

“The Community Overdose Action Team reminds that any illegal drug purchased and used could contain fentanyl,” the agency said in the statement.

The agencies emphasized the danger of Fentanyl in high doses. “Fentanyl is a highly potent drug which greatly increases your chance of an overdose. It is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin,” said Christine Ton, media director for the sheriff’s office. She said that the blue Fentanyl powder has become popular because “it is more potent than heroin and cheaper to buy.”It is just one of several drugs showing up frequently in drug seizures in the area.”

The agency comes across many different instances of substance abuse locally. “We routinely see meth, Fentanyl, marijuana and are also running across cocaine,” Ton said. “Crack and heroin are also located frequently.”

New federal drug trafficking indictments, complaints, and seizures illustrate the growing opiate and drug epidemic in southwest Ohio. Earlier, a Dayton man was alleged to have trafficked valeryl Fentanyl, a relatively new analog of the opioid.

“We are prosecuting more and more Fentanyl-related narcotics-trafficking cases, both in Dayton and district-wide,” said Benjamin Glassman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Fentanyl and its analogs are incredibly dangerous and are at the heart of the overdoses and deaths plaguing our region.”

The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System or OARRS, recently released a report showing that the number of prescription opioids given to Ohioans declined for the sixth consecutive year in 2018. This report was prompted by the increase of Fentanyl use in communities around the state. This suggests that more drug users are getting their prescription meds from illegal sources, rather than from a doctor.

In fact, from 2012 to 2018, the total number of opioids dispensed to Ohio patients decreased by 325 million doses or 41 percent. The report indicates that during this same period, the total number of opioid prescriptions decreased by 4.6 million.

The report also noted that prescribers and pharmacists were using OARRS at record levels. More than 142 million patient reports were requested by healthcare providers in 2018. This means that Ohioans engaging in doctor shopping behavior decreased by 89 percent last year, thanks to expanded use of the system.

“We all have a role to play in battling this public health crisis, and this continued downward trend in opioid prescriptions demonstrates that Ohio’s prescribers are making significant progress in their efforts to prevent addiction,” said Gov. Mike DeWine.

If someone in the family is struggling with opioid addiction, it is important to seek help. A combination of medical detox and behavioral therapy can go a long way in the fight against drug abuse. But because every individual is affected by addiction differently, a comprehensive program tailored to their specific needs is necessary. Look for a nearby addiction treatment facility today and find out how drug treatment programs work.