Child Deaths Linked To Fentanyl Pain Patches Continue, FDA Warns

Federal regulators have issued new warnings about the importance of parents and guardians properly storing and disposing of fentanyl pain patches, following continuing reports of involving children accidentally being exposed to the powerful drugs inside the patch, which has caused a number of overdose deaths.

In a statement posted on July 21, the FDA warns accidental fentanyl exposure, injuries and deaths continue to be linked to the pain patches, despite years of warnings.

Fentanyl patches are typically clear, square patches that are placed on the skin for long-term pain relief. The pain patch contain a highly-concentrated opioid gel designed to be slowly delivered through the skin in a regulated manner for patients who require round-the-clock relief from severe pain, such as pain associated with cancer treatments.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid about 100 times more powerful than morphine, and has been linked to an alarming number of toddler and adolescent accidental overdoses over the last decade due to improper storage or inadequate disposal.

Even after use and disposal, fentanyl patches can contain high amounts of pain medicine still in them can be deadly even after they are used and discarded. If the fentanyl gel contained within the patch leaks out and comes in direct contact with the skin, especially a child, it can cause a myriad of adverse health consequences or death.

“Children can overdose on new and used fentanyl patches by putting them in their mouth or sticking the patches on their skin. This can cause death by slowing the child’s breathing and decreasing the levels of oxygen in their blood,” the agency warns. “The FDA has warned, and continues to warn, patients, caregivers, and health care professionals about the dangers of accidental exposure to the fentanyl patch, and the need to properly store and dispose of the product.”

In the latest warning, FDA officials call on parents and caregivers to keep fentanyl patches and other drugs in a secure location out of children’s sight and reach. Previous overdose incidents have indicated toddlers and young children may think the patch is a sticker, tattoo, or bandage, prompting them to place the opioid-containing patch on their skin or in their mouth.

Patients should routinely check to make sure the patch is still in place throughout the day and to consider covering the fentanyl patch with a transparent adhesive film to make sure the patch doesn’t come off your body, the agency advises. Some overdose incidents reportedly occurred when a patch transferred to a child being held by or sleeping with adults.

Used fentanyl patches should not be placed in household trash containers where children or animals could access them. Instead, the FDA recommends they should be flushed down a toilet after first folding the patch in half with the sticky sides together.

Fentanyl Overdose Concerns

The fentanyl patch was originally introduced under the brand name Duragesic. It is now widely available as a generic, and a number of drug companies make fentanyl pain patches, including Watson, ALZA and Mylan Pharmaceuticals.

Multiple fentanyl patch recalls have been issued by different manufacturers over the past decade, due to the fentanyl gel leaking out because of manufacturing defects, or being delivered through the skin at a faster rate than intended, both of which increase the risk of a potentially fatal overdose.

Fentanyl has been linked to more than 50% of all opioid overdose deaths in recent years, leading federal regulators to label it the most dangerous drug in America.