Fentanyl: One of the most dangerous drugs

BRAZIL, Ind. (WTHI) - Clay County investigators said Haley Bryan showed signs of a narcotic drug overdose. The drug fentanyl, which deputies said the teens were smoking is a powerful narcotic.

Pharmacist Lynn Hostetler, owner of Lynn's Pharmacy in Brazil, said it's one of the most dangerous drugs he dispenses. That's even when the time-release pain medication is prescribed properly. He said there's a small margin of error between a dose that is helpful, and a dose that can kill.

Smoking the drug makes it all the more dangerous.

"You get a three day supply in minutes or seconds," said Hostetler. "That puts you way beyond toxic levels."

Hostetler keeps his fentanyl in a locked place. He said of about 50 drugs in his secure location, it might be the most dangerous.

"Do not smoke this," warned Hostetler. “Do not use this. Do not play with this. It's dangerous."

Hostetler said it's a drug that has gotten more popular recently. It's a medication about 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Clay County Sheriff Mike Heaton said he’s started to see more cases of abuse of the drug as well.

"In 2009 we had a lady in the northern part of the county overdose,” said Heaton. “It ended up she had stolen the patch herself."

Deputies said two of the teens from Friday's incident say they stole the patch from a relative.

Hostetler said if you are taking fentanyl lock up your drugs to make sure your children, other family members or friends don't take it.

"This is a dangerous drug to play with,” said Hostetler. “Some of the others have this safety factor in them, but there is no safety factor in this."

The patches can still have some fentanyl in them even after you use them. The Therapeutic Research Center advises you not to put them in the trash. Instead, it is one of the few drugs that should be flushed.

Fentanyl patches were the target of public health advisories by the FDA in 2005. Since then, they have had so-called black box warnings on their boxes.