Fentanyl patches now most-seized drug in Sudbury police investigations

Morning North4:45Patch for Patch program for Fentanyl users

It's the patch that kills pain... and sometimes it's the patch that kills. We spoke to a pharmacist who is participating in a program to prevent Fentanyl patches from getting into the wrong hands.Police are working with doctors and pharmacists in Sudbury to get Fentanyl pain patches off the streets.

Fentanyl is a powerful painkiller delivered through a patch, and even used patches retain a lot of the drug.

The used patches are strong enough to be attractive to addicts and can even cause deadly mistakes.

Sergeant Steve Train with Sudbury Police said a North Bay child, who inadvertently picked up a used Fentanyl patch at a long term care home, died of an overdose.

“That’s significant because any time a member of our community is dying because of a drug, we need to address it,” he said.

Doctors in Espanola, Little Current and North Bay prescribe the patch on the condition that old ones are turned in for new ones.

Train said there are a few doctors in Sudbury already writing prescriptions that can only be filled on the condition the old patches be turned in.

Espanola pharmacist Jim Roszel said most of his clients have doctors in the area, but not everyone does.

“There are quite a few who would also [have a] doctor in Sudbury,” he said. “It would be a lot more effective if Sudbury was able to start and operate the same program.”

Sergeant Train said Fentanyl patches have become the most-seized drug in Sudbury police investigations.

Train said he is helping to organize education and consultation with the city’s doctors and pharmacists to get them to commit to the program in Sudbury.