Fentanyl is a man-made pain medication often prescribed after surgery or used for advanced cancer patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the medication is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. When used appropriately, fentanyl is effective, but, when abused, it can be deadly.
In this Mayo Clinic Minute, reporter Vivien Williams talks to pain medicine specialist Dr. Mike Hooten about fentanyl.
View complete series:
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Prescription drugs ─ the changing face of addiction
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Facts on fentanyl
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Avoid opioids for chronic pain
- Mayo Clinic Minute: 2 reasons not to share pain pills
- Mayo Clinic Minute: When are opioids OK to take?
- Mayo Clinic Minute: What opioids do to your guts
- Mayo Clinic Minute: How to stop popping painkillers
Journalists: This broadcast-quality video pkg (1:00) is in the downloads. Read the script.