As if we don’t have enough to deal with…

In regard to the opioid epidemic, we have government officials proposing regulations that prevent first responders from rendering aid and an Ohio sheriff who refuses to allow his deputies to carry Narcan. That’s just to name a few. Now we have to worry about a new form of Fentanyl called Acryl fentanyl that has appeared in Georgia which is resistant to Narcan. The variation was first found in the Spring of this year during a drug seizure. It’s also popped up in Cook County, Il., where officials determined it was responsible for 44 deaths this year.

Acryl fentanyl, aka Narcan resistant fentanyl

Unlike fentanyl, the narcan resistant Acryl fentanyl has no medical uses and it is 100 times stronger than morphine. Manufactured overseas and then sold online as a designer drug, Acryl fentanyl is still new to the United States. The DEA, thus, has not yet added it to the Schedule 1 drug list. So, what do we do? Well first of all we need to protect ourselves. Be aware of what you are touching even if you are wearing gloves. As far as treatment plans go I cannot find anything that is specific. We are going to continue administering Narcan in the hopes that it will have some effect and then moving in the direction of endotracheal intubation and supportive care in the hopes that the patient will be able to metabolize the drug and survive the event.