(WOAI.com) SAN ANTONIO — Controversy is brewing over a patch used for pain relief. At least two people in San Antonio have died after using the Fentanyl patch, and their families are blaming what they say is a defect.

Like most medicinal patches, Fentanyl is used by peeling off a sticky side and placing it against the skin of a patient. The patch is left on the skin for up to 72 hours and is supposed to provide the exact amount of medication needed.

However, the families of two San Antonio women who died say the patch they were prescribed to relieve their pain ended up killing them.

According to lawsuits filed by family members, both women suffered chronic pain. So, their doctors suggested Fentanyl patches.

Fentanyl is stronger than morphine. When it is applied to the skin, it then delivers a certain amount of Fentanyl into the patient.

While wearing the patches, Donna Singleton and Ellen Burks died. Their families say both suffered an overdose of Fentanyl because the patches were defective.

Similar patches have been recalled before because a cut along the side of the patch allowed too much Fentanyl to leak and cause a possible overdose.

» Morphine-cannabis combo may boost painkilling response – Thaindian News
London, Aug 12 (ANI): U.S. researchers have come up with an idea of using the combination of morphine and cannabis so as to better the painkilling responses.

Joseph Holtman and Peter Crooks at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington say that teaming them up could allow doses to become smaller, reducing the possibility of addiction.

However, combining the drug had some drawbacks, reports New Scientist.

A simple mixture of the drugs produces unpredictable results because the body absorbs them at different rates.

To overcome that limitation, the researchers came up an idea of binding the two drugs together using a linking molecule such as an ester.

When the body snips this linking group, both drugs are released at the site where they are needed.
That should ensure both drugs would be absorbed at the same rate, making it easier to work out doses for patients. (ANI)