>>> HOW DID PRINCE GET HIS HANDS
ON OPIOID.
AFTER WE LEARNED YESTERDAY THE
MUSIC LEGEND DIED OF AN OVERDOSE
OF FENTANYL.
THEY LISTED PRINCE'S DEATH AS AN
ACCIDENT.
HE DIED ON APRIL 21st A DAY
AFTER PRESCRIBED MEDICATION BY A
DOCTOR.
WE DO NOT KNOW IF IT WAS
FENTANYL HE WAS GIVEN.
PRINCE WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE IN
AN ELEVATOR AT HIS MIN OPINION
MIN HOME.
SH -- MINNESOTA HOME.
IT DID NOT INDICATE IF HE WAS
INGESTED OR INJECTED INTO THE
MUSICIAN'S BODY.
JOINING US IS Dr. SCOTT
ACKERMAN.
IT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU'RE
AN ONCOLOGIST BUT YOU'RE HERE
BECAUSE THIS IS A DRUG THAT
FREQUENTLY IS TYPICALLY ONLY
ADMINISTERED AND PRESCRIBED BY
ONCOLOGISTS FOR CANCER
TREATMENT.
WHY DO YOU THINK HE WOULD NEED
THIS KIND OF DRUG?
WHY WOULD A DOCTOR BECAUSE WE'VE
HAD NO INFORMATION TO SUGGEST HE
HAD ANY TYPE OF CANCER TO
PRESCRIBE FENTANYL?
>>> FENTANYL IS A VERY STRONG
OPIOID AND WE USE IT FOR CANCER
PATIENTS AND PATIENTS WHO HAVE
CANCER PAIN AND CHRONIC CANCER
PAIN.
ALSO USED IN OTHER AREA, PEOPLE
USE IT -- PHYSICIANS PRESCRIBE
WITH IT PATIENTS WHO HAVE SEVERE
AND CHRONIC BACK PAIN.
WE TYPICALLY PRESCRIBE IT IN THE
FORM OF A PATCH AND THE DRUGGING
IS DELIVERED VERY SLOWLY OVER A
FEW DAYS.
AND SO PEOPLE, CANCER PATIENTS
PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN
FROM AUTO ACCIDENTS AND THOSE
SORTS OF THINGS MAY BE ON THESE
PATCHES AS WELL AND DELIVER PAIN
MEDICATION SLOWLY.
>> Jennifer: DELIVERING IT
THAT WAY AND PRESCRIBING IT BAY
PATCH YOU CAN CONTROL HOW MUCH
OF A DOSE A PATIENTED WOULD
RECEIVE.
WOULD YOU BE SURPRISED IF A
DOCTOR WOULD ADMINISTER THIS IN
PILL FORM TO SOMEONE WHO MIGHT
TAKE TOO MUCH OF IT SINCE WE
KNOW A SMALL AMOUNT CAN BE
LETHAL.
>>> YOU'RE RIGHT, A VERY SMALL
AMOUNT IS LETHAL, 60 TIMES MORE
POWERFUL THAN MORPHINE.
WE PRESCRIBE IT IN MICROGRAMS
WHICH IS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT.
IN ADDITION TO THE PATCH WHICH
IS A LITTLE BIT MORE SLOWLY
THERE ARE OTHER FORMS OF
ADMINISTRATION OF IT.
SURGEONS USE IT IN THE OPERATING
ROOM WHEN PATIENTS ARE HAVING
HEART SURGERY AND WE GIVE IT TO
PATIENTS THERE INTRAVENOUSLY, WE
HAVE A MORE SHORT-ACTING
FENTANYL OR MORE RAPIDLY
RELEASED FENTANYL GIVEN BAY PILL
PUT UNDER THE TONGUE OR
LOGICALLY POP WE PUT IN THE THAT
IS ABSORBED MORE QUICKLY.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT FORM WAS
GIVEN TO PRINCE OR EVEN HOW HE
GOT IT.
>>> THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT
IS ELICITLY MADE AND HUMAN BEING
PROBLEM, EVEN THE U.S. DRUG
ENFORCEMENTSES A SAYS THIS HAS
BEEN A HUGE PROBLEM THERE HAVE
BEEN SO MANY OVERDOSES AS A
RESULT OF THE ELICIT, THE
ILLEGAL MANUFACTURE OF THIS
DRUG.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
PRINCE'S SIZE, HE WAS 112 POUNDS
AT THE SAME OF HIS DEATH ONLY 5'
3 "ABOUT MY HEIGHT AND A LITTLE
SHORTER.
DOES THAT IMPACT HOW MUCH HE
SHOULD TAKE OR BE PRESCRIBED IF
THAT WOULD HAPPEN HERE?
>>> WE PRESCRIBE DRUGS TO
PATIENT WE LOOK AT THEIR SIZE
AND WE PRESCRIBE DRUGS BASED ON
A PATIENT'S BODY SURFACE AREA OR
WEIGHT AND LARGER PATIENTS NEED
HIGHER AMOUNTS OF DRUGS THAN
HIGH SMALLER PATIENTS BUT WITH
MORPHINE AND OPENIATS IT IS
THE -- OPIOIDS ARE DIFFERENT.
THESE DRUGS ESPECIALLY FENTANYL,
THEY DULL ONE'S SENSE OF THE
PAIN.
OVER TIME WHAT HAPPENS IS YOUR
THRESHOLD FOR PAIN BECOMES
LESSENED SO SOMEBODY THAT
WOULDN'T BOTHER YOU OR ME BACK
SEVERE TO SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN
ON THE DRUGS FOR A WHILE.
>>> YOU CAN KEEP TAKING MORE AND
MORE TO HELP THEM WITH THE PAIN.
>>> THE LARGER DOSES YOU TAKE
CAN CAUSE RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION
AND SUBSEQUENTLY DEATH BECAUSE
OF THAT.
>> Jennifer: IT IS
INTERESTING, TOO, BECAUSE HIS
TEAM HAD ASKED A DAY BEFORE FOR
HELP BECAUSE THEY WERE CONCERNED
ABOUT HIS OPIOID ADDICTION FROM
WHAT WE'RE HEARING CERTAINLY