Pubdate: Sat, 29 Jul 2006 Source: Times Union (Albany, NY) Copyright: 2006 Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation Contact: http://www.timesunion.com/forms/emaileditor.asp Website: http://www.timesunion.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/452 Author: Danielle Furfaro, Staff writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone) PAINKILLING PATCH OFFERS ABUSERS THE LATEST FIX Rash Of Arrests And Deaths In Capital Region Linked To Fentanyl When Watervliet Police Sgt. Edward Watson learned a man was arrested for allegedly selling a fentanyl pain patch to undercover officers, his heart sank. It was another indicator that the prescription drug is gaining a foothold in the city. In recent months, authorities across the Capital Region have seen a rash of arrests and fatal overdoses related to fentanyl, a prescription pain patch used for everything from back trouble to cancer pain management. Fentanyl, a narcotic pain medicine, has up to 80 times more potency than morphine or heroin. The patch is used to deliver pain relief over 72 hours. When abused, it can be very dangerous, Watson said. "People suck on the patches," he said. "When you take it orally, you have no idea how much is getting into your system. These patches are loaded with all sorts of narcotics." Some abusers cut the patches into quarters and put them on different parts of the body to get an increased effect. Within the past four months, there have been two deaths in Watervliet attributed to the painkiller, according to Watson. "In the one case, in the future I'm sure we will have an arrest for negligent homicide," said Watson, who declined to name the victims who had died. In the other death, the victim "got the prescription legally through a doctor and misused it and died." On Wednesday, Daniel McGillivary of First Avenue in Watervliet was charged with third-degree drug sale, a felony, after the undercover sting. There have been four fentanyl-related deaths in Albany County in the past year, and one in Rensselaer County. One was intoxicated by numerous drugs "with the patch still on," said Jennifer Alibozek, senior medico legal death investigator in Rensselaer County. "There are two more cases pending with a past history of fentanyl abuse." In some cases, the person for whom the drug was prescribed abuses the drug. In other cases, those with a prescription make money selling the patch to drug addicts. The Capital Region activity mirrors a national trend. Since January, hundreds of deaths across the country have been attributed to fentanyl, which is sometimes disguised as heroin. Fentanyl-laced heroin has been blamed for more than 200 overdose-related deaths in recent months, including dozens in the Chicago and Pittsburgh areas. "I talked to detectives in Pittsburgh, it's really bad there," said Investigator Emanuel Shulman, who works in Guilderland, where there has also been one death. "I wouldn't call it an epidemic. More people die of heroin overdoses than any other drug," Shulman said. "If you get into serious drugs, it's just a question of when." For now, fentanyl seems to have taken the place of drugs such as oxycontin, a potent narcotic that was popular on the streets about five years ago before being heavily regulated. "There is that group of people that are just always going to abuse drugs," Shulman said. Despite the risks, fentanyl is a necessary part of some people's daily lives. "For pain relief, fentanyl is a wonderful drug," Shulman said. "It's just not designed to be chewed." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman