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Hired Power Addresses Fentanyl Epidemic in Webinar

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Hired Power Addresses Fentanyl Epidemic in Webinar

January 18
16:15 2022

Fentanyl-laced drugs have increased sharply, as noted by a public safety alert from the DEA on September 27, 2021. International and domestic criminal drug networks have begun to flood the United States with counterfeit pills that contain potentially lethal amounts of fentanyl. 

Hired Power recently addressed this alarming trend in their webinar that aired just days after the DEA’s public safety alert. Hired Power’s chief operating officer Deidre Fitzpatrick, MSN, RN, CARN, teamed up with the medical director of the Coalition of Orange County Community Clinics’ MAT Connect program, Mario San Bartolome, MD, MBA, MRO, FASAM, to discuss the fentanyl problem, what is being done to mitigate it, and how people can get help for addictions that could lead to a deadly fentanyl overdose. 

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 100 times stronger than morphine. Some derivatives are so potent that a single grain can be lethal. When heroin is laced with fentanyl and sold as heroin, it can be 30-40 times stronger than heroin by weight, yet the user doesn’t typically know that there is potentially deadly fentanyl in the mix. 

According to the webinar, lethal drug overdoses have risen from 70,237 in 2017 to 93,000 in 2020. Synthetic opioids have seen the largest increase in overdose deaths. Synthetic opioids are those created in a laboratory, rather than derived from natural plants. Most synthetic opioids are class A drugs, which means they are illegal to take or sell. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid and most of the fentanyl in circulation is not diverted pharmaceutical fentanyl. Instead, it is created in clandestine laboratories often located in China.

In the webinar, Dr. San Bartolomé noted that there are medications to help treat opioid addictions, which can also lower the risk for a fentanyl overdose. He also described tests that are now available at drug stores to test substances to ensure there is no fentanyl in the mix. He said that many people, even those suffering from addiction, will choose not to take a substance if they discover fentanyl is present. 

Hired Power is a compassionate and personalized approach for navigating the entire addiction and mental health recovery process. With a focus on interventions, safe passage, data-driven monitoring, Personal Recovery Assistants, and coaching and case management, Hired Power helps clients reach long-term success and fulfillment. 

Media Contact
Company Name: Hired Power
Phone: 800-910-9299
Address:21062 Brookhurst St. #201
City: Huntington Beach
State: CA 92646
Country: United States
Website: https://www.hiredpower.com/

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