Download What is Fentanyl? - Drug and Alcohol Nurses Australasia

Julie Latimer
DANA NSW Drug & Alcohol Nurses Forum
September 2014
MSIC provides:
 A practical and compassionate response to drug
injecting
 Supervision of injecting episodes that might
otherwise occur in less safe circumstances such as
public places or alone
 A safer environment where immediate medical
assistance is available if required
 Access to health & social welfare services for a
marginalised & difficult to reach population
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Powerful synthetic opioid analgesic
100 times more potent than Morphine
Highly lipid soluble = rapid onset
Transdermal patch
Prescription of fentanyl patches in Australia
has increased dramatically since 2006
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First recorded use at MSIC Sept 2012
Higher incidence of overdose compared to
other opioids
Increase in use now that new formulation of
Oxycontin (OP) available
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High incidence of overdose due to potency
Fatalities internationally & nationally
Misinformation around dosage
Complicated preparation process
Tolerance rapidly increases with regular use
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Have you used Fentanyl before?
Do you know the Oxycontin equivalent of the
patch you have?
How do you prepare it for injection?
How many 80mg Oxycontin tabs do you
usually use?
Have you ever overdosed after using
Fentanyl?
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Discussion with clients regarding dose and
knowledge base
Increased chance of overdose – may happen
quickly
Close observations – 1st 20 mins are
important
Clients report effects are not always pleasant
Patch strength
Fentanyl content
Approximate
Morphine equivalent
Approximate
Oxycontin
equivalent
100mcg per hour
16.8mg
1680mg
(16.8 x 100mg
Morph)
1120mg
(14 x 80mg Oxy)
75mcg per hour
12.6mg
1260mg
(12.6 x 100mg
Morph)
840mg
(10.5 x 80mg Oxy)
50mcg per hour
8.4mg
840mg
(8.4 x 100mg
Morph)
560mg
(7 x 80mg Oxy)
25mcg per hour
4.2mg
420mg
(4.2 x 100mg
Morph)
280mg
(3.5 x 80mg Oxy)
12mcg per hour
2.1mg
210mg
(2.1 x 100mg
Morph)
140mg
(1.75 x 80mg Oxy)
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Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than
Morphine
Risk of overdose is much higher
1cm square of any strength patch will have
the same amount of Fentanyl on it
Find out what the client knows about Fentanyl