Authorities are warning Minnesotans to be on the lookout for potent medication stolen from a Starbuck, Minn., pharmacy already responsible for one overdose.
Those behind the Sept. 16 burglary at Samuelson's Drug Store made off with about 1,800 prescription pills as well as several pain patches and some solutions taken orally, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Tuesday. Starbuck, in Pope County, is about 120 miles northwest of the Twin Cities.
Two days later, police in Morris, Minn., responded to a man at the Stevens County Medical Center who had a possible overdose from fentanyl transdermal patches. Authorities identified the patches as some of those stolen from Starbuck, the BCA said.
Then Monday, a man was arrested in Stevens County for allegedly selling prescription pills, medication also believed to be stolen from the pharmacy.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate considered more potent that morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Among the typical users are those in severe pain, those who've had surgery or those with chronic pain tolerant to opiates.
The drug can produce a state of euphoria and relaxation, the institute said. According to Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which markets one fentanyl transdermal system known as Duragesic, these substances "have the highest potential for abuse and associated risk of fatal overdose due to respiratory depression." The BCA warned those who use fentanyl for nonmedical reasons could be at risk of severe injury or death.
Anyone who comes across someone selling prescriptions pills, pain patches or oral solutions are asked to call local police immediately.
Vince Tuss •
