Duragesic fentanyl patch overdose proves fatal

This manufacturing defect involves a “release membrane” designed to provide a slow, controlled release of fentanyl. Because of the defect, some patients have received too much fentanyl too quickly, resulting in a fatal overdose.

 So far, hundreds if not thousands of people have died from defective Duragesic  pain patches. In Florida, an estimated 100-200 people a year have died from them, while 230 died from them in a six-year period in Los Angeles County.

Pain patches: Popular but deadly

High death numbers stem in part from patches’ high popularity. In 2007, Duragesic pain patches were Johnson & Johnson’s eighth top-selling product, with $1.16 billion in sales based on 5.5 million prescriptions.

Duragesic pain patches were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1990. They were first manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, a subsidiary of ALZA Corporation. When problems arose with the fold-over defect, Johnson & Johnson recalled 2.2 million pain patches in 2004.

Soon after that, the patches were marketed once again. Other brands also arose after Johnson & Johnson’s patent expired in 2005. Among manufacturers with generic pain patches, some (Actavis) had similar defects, while others (Mylan) did not have defects.

But Johnson & Johnson’s patches continued to have problems, with fentanyl leaking through. In 2008 Johnson & Johnson recalled 30 million more pain patches due to such defects. Even so, many defective pain patches remain on the market or in unsuspecting consumers’ hands.

Terminal cancer patients were first users

Duragesic  pain patches originally were prescribed for end-stage terminal cancer patients. Their use was expanded when physicians began prescribing them for patients suffering severe and sustained pain, as in chronic back pain.

Not all deaths from Duragesic pain patches are a result of defective products. The user can make a fatal mistake by combining the patch’s fentanyl  with illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Users also must avoid exposing the patch to heat while wearing it, which can increase the amount of the drug the body absorbs. Using alcohol or sleep-inducing medications while wearing the patch also can be dangerous.

But no matter how careful you are, unknowingly using a defective pain patch takes such safety precautions out of your hands. These defects can turn a patch intended to ease pain into a patch which can kill.

Your lawyer needs an autopsy report

If you believe a loved one has died a wrongful death as a result of a defective Duragesic  pain patch, contact a fentanyl patch lawyer for assistance. Many patients or their survivors already have filed successful suits, with one man receiving $5.5 million after his son died from wearing a defective Duragesic patch to manage hip pain.

Your lawyer will need two reports in order to proceed effectively: an autopsy report showing that the death was, indeed, from fentanyl poisoning, and a toxicology report showing that the level of fentanyl in the victim was more than 6 nanograms. (The lethal range begins at about 3 nanograms, though the average person will die at 8 nanograms.)

Jim S. Adler & Associates can help you in a wrongful death case involving defective Duragesic  pain patches which have caused fentanyl poisoning.

In addition, Jim S. Adler & Associates has offices located at City Place Building, 2711 North Haskell Ave., Suite 2100 LB40, Dallas, Texas 75204-2887; Bank of America, 12605 East Freeway, Suite 400, Houston, Texas 77015-5619 (serving Channelview, Texas); and San Pedro Plaza, 7330 San Pedro Ave., Suite 700, San Antonio, Texas 78216-6237.