The difference between pharmaceutical and illegal fentanyl

Fentanyl Test Strip Training Fentanyl Basics The difference between pharmaceutical and illegal fentanyl

Modern medicine has made great strides in developing effective medications that help treat illness, cure disease and manage pain. However, many of these drugs are sought out and sold illegally on the streets. As we learned in the previous section, there are two types of fentanyl: pharmaceutical and illegal fentanyl. Both are synthetically made, but there are key differences between each.

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Pharmaceutical Fentanyl

Legally made by pharmaceutical companies
Can only be obtained with a doctor’s prescription
Common forms: pill, lozenge, nasal spray, transdermal patch, or injection
Intended for patients managing severe pain

Illegal Fentanyl

Often made in other countries and shipped illegally into the United States
Distributed in the drug market
Common forms include liquid and powder
Often mixed with other drugs (such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine),

resulting in a much more potent and deadly dose

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