Unusual opioids are infiltrating street drugs. Knoxville’s top forensic doctor is on the front lines, pressing to quickly identify the most lethal.
Read more on this story from The New York Times:
A Medical Examiner Chases Down an Elusive Killer
In January, the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, the nonprofit Pennsylvania lab that finally identified cychlorphine in the Knoxville death, issued its first national alert about it. The drug has since been detected in at least 14 states. In February, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that at least 11 orphine variations, known as analogs, have been identified worldwide.
“We would never know about the hot spots if medical examiners like Darinka weren’t pushing to test these substances,” said Alex Krotulski, the director of toxicology and chemistry at the research center, which tracks new illicit substances around the country. “Cychlorphine would be completely missed. And that’s not helpful from a public health perspective.”What to Know About Orphines, a New Class of Deadly Opioids
