Fentanyl Lies in Wait as the ‘Wolf at Australia’s Door’

Australia is underprepared for the possibility of a fentanyl epidemic as the drug lies in wait as the “wolf at the country’s door.” That’s the warning from health experts who say while illicit fentanyl is yet to garner underworld popularity, more needs to be done to get ahead of its threat. Fentanyl, which can be about 100 times stronger than morphine, is prescribed legally in Australia for severe pain but can be illegally trafficked. Cohealth addiction medicine specialist Paul MacCartney warns it is a matter of when—not if—fentanyl will hit Australia’s streets in earnest. “There is no doubt that fentanyl is the wolf at Australia’s door, and when it arrives it will take a catastrophic toll on our community,” Dr. MacCartney told AAP....