No abstract

There have been significant increases in fentanyl prescribing in Australia. It is unclear what proportion of this increase represents legitimate treatment of pain. Fentanyl deaths have also increased, although mortality is currently low in Australia. A large proportion of the deaths involved the injection of diverted fentanyl, highlighting the need for messages regarding safer injecting practices targeting people who inject drugs, and strategies to minimise the risks of diversion.

This is the first national study in Australia, and the largest internationally, to examine RRA deaths using medicolegal data. This generates hypotheses for future research on the effect of environmental and organizational factors on the frequency and preventability of RRA.