The FDA has issued a
public health advisory on the use of fentanyl patches.
The brand name for the fentanyl patch in the US is Duragesic; generic versions of the patch (by Mylan and Sandoz) are also available.
The alert deals in part with doctors inappropriately prescribing the patch for problems as simple as a headache(!), but also notes that applications of heat near the patch (such as a heating pad, an electric blanket or even a hot shower) can cause an overdose.
-- Leslie
