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The county and city of San Diego have made fentanyl a focus of their enforcement efforts. Still, any cost can be a barrier for people seeking life-saving medication. In California, various public agencies and community-based groups distribute naloxone for free. GoodRx lists discounted prices for generic naloxone at big box how long does fentanyl stay in your system pharmacies that range from $30 to $79. Compared to other street drugs, Fentanyl’s design and chemical makeup make it a prime target for illicit manufacturing and use. Drug rehab facilities are the best option for getting help with an opioid addiction no matter what drug you have been using or how long it has been going on.
A highly potent, synthetic opioid, it is only for prescription use to manage cancer, chronic pain, or post-surgical pain. Fentanyl is extremely effective at pain management as it is 100 times stronger than morphine. Let us remember that overdoses don’t normally happen overnight; there is generally a history of drug use, and often mental health issues, that precede them. It goes without saying that addiction or drug abuse put someone at risk every time they use their drug, or drugs, of choice.
Fentanyl’s Medical Purpose: Pain Management
The San Diego program also makes Narcan available to high-risk patients through each of Scripps’ four emergency departments. Fentanyl can kill within a matter of 2 minutes, usually because of respiratory failure (breathing that has stopped). Breathing stops altogether, and the brain does not get the oxygen needed to survive. It is possible for someone to take a pill without knowing it contains fentanyl. It is also possible to take a pill knowing it contains fentanyl, but with no way of knowing if it contains a lethal dose. In the meantime, the state GOP is attempting to keep the issue front-and-center.
Illicitly manufactured Fentanyl is made in unsanitary conditions, then mixed carelessly into random and inconsistent doses so it can be hidden in the street drug supply to increase drug dealer profits. Doctors generally refer to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, to establish a diagnosis of substance use disorder. Should they believe a person is under the grip of fentanyl use in this way, they will most certainly recommend some form of fentanyl addiction treatment.
Dangers of Mixing Fentanyl With Other Prescription Medications
Bold strategies are needed to interrupt the ever-increasing number of fentanyl-related deaths. Republicans, some Democrats and law enforcement leaders have been pushing for harsher penalties for fentanyl possession and dealing, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ although those measures generally have not moved forward in the Legislature. It was no coincidence that Newsom chose San Diego as the site of his announcement of a “master plan” for addressing opiate addiction and dealing.
Unlike pharmaceutical-grade fentanyl, illicit fentanyl is typically contaminated with other chemicals, so its actual ingredients are unknown. The powder form can be mixed into other drugs, such as methamphetamine or cocaine, without the user knowing. Illicit fentanyl tablets can be made to look like other drugs, such as anti-anxiety medication or less-potent painkillers. As a result, people who believe they are taking other drugs can easily overdose on fentanyl. Other strategies to prevent overdose deaths include lowering the entry barrier to addiction treatment, fentanyl test strips, supervised consumption sites and even prescription diamorphine (heroin).