Fentanyl-related deaths across 15 reporting EU countries nearly doubled, according to recent report
The theft of 80 fentanyl vials from a Rome hospital triggered an emergency government response, but Italy’s addiction chief says the real gap has always been enforcement of existing rules.
Around 80 vials of fentanyl went missing from a hospital in Rome in late June, with the theft discovered during a routine count. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid used to treat severe pain but can be lethal in very small doses when misused.
Italian media reported the haul was enough to produce roughly 20,000 street doses, worth an estimated €150,000-300,000 on the black market.
There were no signs the safe had been forced, and with keys to the hospital pharmacy accessible to several staff members, investigators are examining the possibility of an inside job.
