Health bodies establishing early warning system for deadly opiates

Packets of fentanyl seized by US Customs and Border Protection in 2019. The HSE has said it is not aware of any seizure of fentanyl by An Garda Síochána. Picture courtesy of the US Customs and Border Protection

The HSE says it has not yet seen any signs that the deadly opiate drug, fentanyl, has arrived in Ireland after concerns were expressed that the drug might be present in recent overdoses.

Health bodies — including the Health Research Board and the HSE — are setting up a new early warning system to help alert them to the emergence of new drugs, such as synthetic opiates like fentanyl.

Earlier this week an advocacy group for people who use drugs said there has been a recent increase in the number of overdoses in Dublin and that these could be due to a mixture of drugs, including heroin purity heroin, or synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

In a statement, the HSE said: “The HSE is not aware of any seizure of fentanyl by An Garda Síochána nor have we any laboratory analytical confirmation about fentanyl detected recently in Ireland.

“No hospital ED has reported presentations associated with fentanyl. No individual has presented for treatment to addiction services saying that they are dependent on fentanyl.” 

The statement said the “emergence of synthetic opioids on the EU drug market” was being closely monitored by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and by local officials in Ireland.

“There are no signals of change on the Irish drug market but it is being monitored,” the statement said.

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It said the HRB, Ireland’s national focal point for the EMCDDA, and the HSE were working together to develop “a new early warning system” to help improve the detection, review and response to emerging drug trends.

The HSE is working on improving drug monitoring, education among users, drug checking, syringe and wastewater analysis. The agency is also working with emergency departments on drug-related presentations, starting in inner city Dublin with a view for possible expansion.

The HSE also says that its expansion of naloxone is also a protection measure, as it can reverse overdoses for heroin, morphine and synthetic opiates such as fentanyl and nitazene.

It said 1,425 naloxone units have been provided to individuals and 983 people have been provided with training in the use of naloxone.