WARNING OVER PAIN RELIEF PATCHES
A warning has been issued for people to properly dispose of pain relief patches after two children needed hospital treatment after coming into contact with them.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it has had three reports, including two which involved children, of people being made sick by the fentanyl skin patches.
The medicines regulator stated the prescription-only patches effectively help relieve moderate to severe long-term pain when they are used according to instructions. The three incidents of "accidental contact" happened between 2008 and 2014.
The MHRA said the first child had become "unresponsive" and then fell unconscious after "picking" at a fentanyl patch that was on someone else's arm.
A second child also had to be taken to hospital after two fentanyl patches which had been confused with plasters were accidentally used on them.
Their parent realised something was wrong when the child was sleeping.
A MHRA spokesman said: "Both of the children were OK in the end once they were treated at hospital."
The third incident involved an adult whose pre-existing breathing problems got worse overnight after helping their partner to put on the fentanyl patches.
The MHRA said: "They experienced worsening of pre-existing breathing difficulties at night and believed this was due to accidental exposure of the fentanyl patch and possibly due to their partner's sweating at night. When exposure to the drug was stopped they began to recover."
The patches were first licensed in 2005.
Dr Sarah Branch, the MHRA's deputy director of vigilance and risk management of medicines, said: "It is extremely important when applying a fentanyl skin patch that people check that they are stuck on securely. A patch may cause serious harm if it accidentally sticks to somebody else's skin or is swallowed.
"The used patch should be folded in half so that the adhesive side sticks firmly to itself. It should then be safely thrown away in a secure bin so that it is not picked up by young children. If a patch is transferred to another person, remove it and get medical help immediately. If a patch is swallowed, get medical help immediately.
"People who use fentanyl patches should be careful to keep them out of the reach and sight of children and dispose of them carefully."
