Fentanyl: The elephant in the room. The pharmaceutical industry is being judicially fined hundreds of millions of dollars for their role in the opioid crises. While these noble endeavors fill state coffers and make good PR for public officials; are these efforts proving counterproductive?

Federal and state; criminal, civil and administrative sanctions have lessened or diminished prescribing of opioid medications by physicians nationwide. The reduction of “legal” prescription pain medication has afforded criminal organizations the opportunity to meet the inexorable demand.

For example, Arizona DEA’s recent announcement: “In Arizona, over 1 million foreign counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl (a synthetic heroin) were seized to date in 2019.” Placed into perspective, five years ago there were “0” seizures in Arizona of foreign counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl. Arizona’s Fentanyl deaths in 2019 have reached 344; on target to surpass 2018.

Targeting the legal pharmaceutical industry may appear to be a principled accomplishment in addressing the opioid epidemic. But let’s not ignore the “elephant in the room,” China and Mexico.

While not highly publicized, Mexican naval authorities in Michoacán, Mexico, recently seized 25.75 tons of fentanyl originating from Shanghai, China, destined to Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. Enough Fentanyl to kill several billion people. Fentanyl, used to lace counterfeit prescription pain medication, manufactured in China and smuggled across the southwest border by the Sinaloa Drug Cartel is driving the opioid crises.

Given the amount of counterfeit prescription drugs in the U.S., it’s imperative adults and children beware of unwittingly consuming any type of medication not directly prescribed by their doctor or pharmacist.

Finally, U.S. policy makers must be proactive; re-assess priorities, allocate resources and address this current invasion of foreign counterfeit prescription pain medications from Mexico and China.