Patient safety notice: Potent synthetic opioids implicated in increase in drug overdoses

August 25, 2021

In the past three weeks there have been an unprecedented number of overdoses (with some deaths) in people who use drugs, primarily heroin, in some parts of the country.

The adulterated heroin used may be paler in colour than usual and may become darker than usual when dissolved for injection (“cooked up”).

There is good evidence from reports that naloxone, the ‘antidote’ to opioid overdoses, works in these cases.

Those in contact with heroin users should be alert to the increased possibility of overdose arising from ‘heroin’ containing synthetic opioids, be able to recognise possible symptoms of overdose and respond appropriately.

We ask all clinical colleagues to bring this safety issue to the attention of everyone and share the potent synthetic opioids patient safety notice.