The fentanyl crisis: Detection can save lives

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally. Like morphine, it is a medicine that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery. Fentanyl is now the drug most frequently involved in overdose deaths in the US.