Until now, fentanyl has been primarily associated with 'zombie cities' in the United States. The drug poses a serious problem overseas, with a growing number of people becoming addicted to this substance, which is 50 times more potent than heroin and should be used only under strict medical supervision.

In medicine, fentanyl is used to treat severe oncological pain and in anesthesiology. However, when misused, it can lead to immediate addiction, dementia, and, in extreme cases, cardiac arrest. In 2022, over 66,000 Americans died from drug overdoses.

There are many indications that the deadly drug has also appeared in Poland. Online footage shows people exhibiting behaviour characteristic of fentanyl use, resembling zombies rather than humans.

The issue of fentanyl has not gone unnoticed. Minister of Health Izabela Leszczyna has announced an audit of opioid prescriptions in response. A decree published in the Official Journal of the Ministry of Health states, "The e-Health Centre is required to report data on prescriptions issued and filled for medicinal products containing psychotropic substances and narcotics, as referred to in Article 4(25) and (26) of the Act of 29 July 2005 on counteracting drug addiction (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 1939), to the Minister in charge of health every day by 10 a.m. to: dep-di@mz.gov.pl."

At a press conference, Izabela Leszczyna stated, "I have instructed the director of the e-Health Centre to implement permanent monitoring of opioid prescribing and dispensing."

Izabela Leszczyna's initiative is questioned by Marek Tomków, President of the Supreme Pharmaceutical Council, who believes that the new regulation is insufficient to protect Poles from fentanyl. "This process began several years ago, during the tenure of Minister Niedzielski, who aimed to combat prescriptions for psychotropic and narcotic drugs this way. At that time, the number of prescriptions issued was limited to 300 per doctor. However, these measures have proven ineffective," Tomków said in an interview with Polsat News.

"Recently, a politician staged a stunt and managed to buy a substantial dose of morphine. If we don't address the practice of issuing prescriptions, which are now readily available for little money, we will soon face problems not only with fentanyl but with other drugs as well. Currently, morphine, psychotropic drugs, and sleeping pills can be obtained via prescription. The substances the police are fighting against are legally issued by someone in a white coat and dispensed in a pharmacy," added Tomków.

Tomków also addressed the issue of medicinal cannabis: "Today, it is said that there is no point in buying cannabis anywhere but a pharmacy: it is good, tested, and legal there. Moreover, if a drug user is questioned by the police, they have a valid prescription or can prove they acquired the drug from a legal source. The problem lies with the facilities that issue prescriptions. Many websites that prescribe drugs remotely are blocked from prescribing narcotic or psychotropic drugs, but some specialise in this. These doctors are often referred to as 'cannabis doctors'."

Source: Polsat News