TBI warns of fake, much stronger oxycodone pills
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NASHVILLE — Some pills on the black market designed to look like oxycodone may instead contain a drug far more potent than heroin, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. A Tennessee law enforcement agency recently recovered what appeared to be oxycodone pills during a traffic stop. The pills were the same size and had the signature A/215 stamp characteristic of oxycodone pills, according to a TBI release. However, laboratory analysis revealed the pills actually contained a pain killer drug called fentanyl, which is 50 times as potent as heroin and can be deadly in high doses, the release states. “We want those addicted to prescription drugs to get help, not seek pills from illicit sources,” Tommy Farmer, TBI Special Agent-in-Charge and Director of the Tennessee Methamphetamine and Pharmaceutical Task Force, states in the release. “It‘s just a matter of time until it costs someone their life.” Last year, TBI Director Mark Gwyn proposed the agency equip agents and forensic scientists who may come in contact with fentanyl with auto-injectors containing naloxone, which potentially can save a life during a fentanyl overdose, according to the release. TBI officials also urge consumers to only purchase prescription drugs through a licensed pharmacy rather than buying medication online.
