Officials concerned about growing number of fentanyl overdoses involving fake pills

Local officials are increasingly concerned about fake prescription pills that contain fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. As little as two milligrams — an amount equal to about 10-15 grains of salt — is considered a lethal dose, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“It’s potent. It’s deadly,” said Mike Pruitt, Johnson County coroner.

In August, federal officials issued a warning about “rainbow fentanyl,” or fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes and sizes. That month, the DEA and its law enforcement partners seized brightly-colored fentanyl and fentanyl pills in 18 states, according to a news release.

Between May and September, the DEA and local police around the country seized more than 10 million fentanyl pills and hundreds of pounds of powder. While fentanyl is still more commonly disguised as oxycodone or another prescription drug, the rainbow pills are becoming more common, and DEA officials believe it is being marketed to young people, the Associated Press reported.

Locally, law enforcement officials have not specifically seen rainbow fentanyl. It’s just a matter of time though.

“I’m not going to be shocked when we do see it,” Pruitt said.

Rainbow fentanyl is attractive and deceiving because it looks like candy and can be taken in many forms, Pruitt said.

While officials haven’t seen rainbow fentanyl, they have seen fake prescription pills containing the drug. Pruitt has had pills tested that came back as containing fentanyl despite the fact they weren’t marketed as having fentanyl.

“People are taking these things and are not realizing it,” he said. “… A lot of people are dying who may not have realized they ingested it.”

So far this year, 30 people have died from drug overdoses and another nine cases have toxicology results pending in Johnson County, Pruitt said. The exact number of fentanyl overdoses for 2022 was unavailable before deadline on Friday, but in 2021, 12 people died from a fentanyl overdose in Johnson County.

Forty-five people died from drug intoxication in general last year, data from the Johnson County Health Department shows. Pruitt is concerned that there may be more deaths this year compared to last year.

“We went into a lull last month and we thought maybe we were seeing a drop,” he said. “It was a false indication; we’re starting to see an increase again.”

Other counties across the state have also seen an increase, he said.

“It’s a growing problem,” Pruitt said. “(The drugs are) cheap for people to make. It’s readily accessible.”

Overdose deaths are also rising across the country. Last year, 107,622 Americans died of drug overdoses, with 66% of those deaths related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Drug poisoning is the leading killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During death investigations, officials look at prescribed medications and the containers they come in. They often find drugs inside the containers that aren’t the correct prescription, Pruitt said.

The coroner’s office often turns the drugs over to police departments for testing. They also have field kits that they can use to test the drugs in the field, he said.

“These are the same field kits that individuals can use to test in the field themselves,” Pruitt said.

Without laboratory testing, there is no way to know how much fentanyl is concentrated in a pill or powder, according to the DEA.

Most of the time about 70% of overdoses, both fatal and non-fatal, come back positive for fentanyl. The coroner’s office has seen a majority of the cases involve people under the age of 30. It’s all over the board in that age range, he said.

This testing is needed to ensure the safety of the office’s own personnel, along with first responders. Even small amounts of fentanyl can cause someone to overdose, just by coming into contact with it, Pruitt said.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office has continually seen one type of counterfeit pill more than others: counterfeit oxycodone M30 pills. Detectives with the office have seen more people talk about blue M30 pills, and deputies on the road have seen more people with them, an undercover detective said. The detective’s name is not being printed to protect their identity.

For example, last year detectives arrested Gary M. Shinnamon II, 38, of Franklin, after an investigation uncovered he was allegedly selling fake oxycodone pills. The pills were light blue and stamped with “30 M” like a typical oxycodone pill, but the pill was actually fentanyl pressed into the shape of an oxycodone pill, according to court documents.

Charges against Shinnamon are pending, and a hearing took place on Thursday.

These types of pills have become more common over the last several years. Amid the opioid epidemic, detectives have had cases where a parent had the drug and a child got hold of it and overdosed.

“They ended up taking something that is much more powerful,” the detective said.

The sheriff’s office routinely works with Franklin and Greenwood Police Departments, along with the DEA, on drug investigations. All of the agencies are seeing these fake pills, the detective said.

Officials know people are going to use drugs, however, those that are using should pay close attention to whether the drugs they are using are actually what they say they are.

“You can’t trust any drugs people give you,” Pruitt said. “… If you choose to use the drug, you are literally risking your life and it can be over in minutes.”

For Pruitt, it’s scary to think about the fake pills flowing through the community. Children could try the drugs to experiment and not realize what they are actually taking, he said.

Parents should pay close attention to what their children are doing and who they are interacting with because parents may never know if they’re interacting with a drug dealer. When responding to an overdose scene involving minors, Pruitt has heard parents say they never suspected their child of using and had no idea until it was too late, he said.

“The reality is kids are taking these drugs; they are trying them,” Pruitt said. “They’re experimenting with them because other adults and kids are. It takes only one time for them to get a lethal amount in their system.”

Pruitt encourages people to say something if they see something, especially when it comes to these types of drugs. It doesn’t matter if they say something to the police or family, attention needs to be brought to it.

“If you don’t say anything and something happens, you’ll have to live with it for the rest of your life,” Pruitt said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.