The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) issued a Public Advisory warning in July 2005, announcing a study into the safety of pain patches after reports of at least 120 deaths from drug overdoses. The Duragesic pain patch, manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceutical Products, and generic patches manufactured by Mylan Laboratories and Actavis Inc., all deliver the narcotic fentanyl through the skin to patients with severe and chronic pain.

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Fentanyl, a drug that is up to 100 times stronger than morphine with effects similar to heroin, is held in a gel in the pain patch and is supposed to be released in controlled doses into the patient’s bloodstream by absorption through the skin. If the wrong dose is administered, the patient can suffer an overdose that may be fatal.

A new patient package insert for Duragesic pain patches was released with the 2005 FDA warning. It includes the following warnings:

• Duragesic can cause serious and possibly fatal side effects.
• Duragesic should only be used by patients with chronic pain who are already using narcotic medicines.
• Duragesic should not be used for short-term pain.
• Only patients who are opoid tolerant should use Duragesic. Patients should check with their doctors to find out if they are.
• Duragesic should not be used by children under 2, and only by patients who are already taking opoid medications.
• Never use a patch that is open or damaged in any way. This could result in a fatal overdose.
  A similar warning was given again in 2007.  

Check out the following articles for more information about the Duragesic Patch, filing a Duragesic Patch lawsuit and finding a Duragesic Patch attorney.

• For more information about Duragesic Patch, see Drug Overview: Duragesic Patch Side Effects and Claims
• For more information about Duragesic Patch side effects, see Duragesic Patch Side Effects
• For more information about Duragesic Patch updates, see Duragesic Patch Information and Warnings
• If you would like to learn more about Duragesic Patch lawsuits, see Duragesic Patch Lawsuits, Litigation & Lawyers
• To learn more about Duragesic Patch attorneys and how to find one, see Hiring a Duragesic Patch Attorney and Lawyer

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