Fentanyl strikes again. The incredibly powerful painkiller reportedly took the life of music icon Prince. A medical examiner’s report revealed Prince accidentally overdosed on the prescription drug resulting in the death of the megastar. When Prince took the deadly dose of fentanyl remains “unknown,” according to the medical examiner’s report.
Fentanyl – One of the Most Dangerous Drugs on the Market
Accidental Fentanyl overdose deaths are not uncommon. Why? Because fentanyl is a synthetic opiate analgesic similar to, but even more potent than, the painkiller morphine. In fact, Fentanyl is actually 81 times more powerful than morphine.
Fentanyl is usually administered by an injection, but can also be administered by a transdermal patch.
Manufacturers of fentanyl transdermal pain patches have voluntarily recalled numerous lots of their patches and the FDA has issued Public Health Advisories related to the fentanyl patch dangers. Manufacturers affected include Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, L.P.; Alza Corporation; Actavis South Atlantic, LLC; Sandoz; Cephalon, Inc. and Mylan.
Our Virginia Beach personal injury and wrongful death law firm has been concerned about the serious risks associated with fentanyl use for years. In fact, we sent a letter to the Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requesting the formation of a special task force to investigate and address the disturbingly high number of accidental Fentanyl overdose deaths (read the FDA letter here).
Prince’s use of Fentanyl and how he got a hold of this dangerous painkiller is the focus of a criminal investigation, according to Yahoo News. A judge sealed all records in the case, but no charges have been filed, as of the date of this posting. Whoever assisted Prince in obtaining Fentanyl needs to be held responsible.
While it is currently unreported as to whether the fentanyl patch doses Prince used were prescribed or illegally obtained, fentanyl is widely prescribed in patch doses of 12, 25, 50, 75 or even 100 mcg’s, according to rxlist.com. The drug was originally prescribed to only chronic pain patients who did not respond to other types of opioid prescriptions and it was initially administered in pill form. The application of a fentanyl pain patch (Duragesic is a brand name of the pain patch) may contribute to the risk of an accidental overdose since a patch delivers the painkiller in a more direct and potent fashion.
Opioid Use and Overdose Deaths are a National Epidemic
The shocking death of Prince highlighted a growing national epidemic associated with opioid use. A study published by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found a shockingly high increase in fatal opioid deaths over the past decade.
Fentanyl Access Must Be Addressed
Our team of Virginia Beach & Norfolk wrongful death attorneys remain extremely concerned about the availability and use of fentanyl as a prescribable painkiller. The drug is lethal and there needs to be an examination by the FDA on whether the benefits of fentanyl truly outweight the stark and tragic costs.
Our attorneys have represented families where loved ones simply placed a second fentanyl pain patch on their body too early after placing the first patch. The result – they never wake up. That’s a troubling form of accidental overdose death.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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