Course Summary

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid that is reserved for use in general anesthesia induction/maintenance and severe pain in patients who are opioid-tolerant. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are among the most common drugs associated with death secondary to overdose, as fentanyl is approximately 50 and 100 times more potent than heroin and morphine, respectively. With such a narrow therapeutic window, the use of fentanyl is deemed high risk, and early recognition of overdose is essential in practice. Opioid overdose education and distribution of intranasal naloxone to laypersons and law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency service personnel are intended to promote recognition of opioid overdose and quick intervention.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Pharmacological Profile, Uses, and Warnings
    • General Anesthesia Induction/Maintenance
    • Severe Pain
  • Special Populations
    • Geriatric and Pediatric Populations
    • Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
    • Hepatic and Renal Impairment
  • Fentanyl-related Adverse Drug Reactions
    • Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression
    • Accidental Exposure
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Adrenal Insufficiency
    • Severe Hypotension
    • Seizures
    • Contraindications
    • Boxed Warning and Drug-Drug Interactions
    • Opioid Withdrawal
  • Treatment of Fentanyl Overdose
  • Trends in Fentanyl Misuse
  • Case Study: Reversal of Fentanyl Overdose in Misbranded Heroin
  • Summary

Author

Richard Daniels, PharmD, BCPS

Richard “Cole” Daniels earned his Doctor of Pharmacy(PharmD) from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at the University of Montana in 2018. Throughout pharmacy school he completed a 3-year internship at Community Medical Center in Missoula, Montana in which he gained valuable experience in an acute care setting. Cole currently serves as a psychiatric clinical staff pharmacist at the Montana State Hospital. He has over 11 years of pharmacy experience having worked in several settings including retail, acute care, and inpatient psychiatric care. Cole has a diverse set of interests. However, acute care medicine, infectious disease, pain management, and asthma/COPD are a primary focus of his at the Montana State Hospital. He obtained board certification as a certified pharmacotherapy specialist in the Spring of 2022.

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