What are fentanyl and cocaine? Health chief Herbosa explains

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa on Wednesday explained the purposes and effects of two drugs that have been making headlines recently—fentanyl and cocaine. 

According to the Health chief, fentanyl is a pain reliever that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is typically used by anesthesiologists and pain specialists in hospitals. 

“Usually, ginagamit ito ng mga anesthesiologist to remove pain during surgical procedures. Ginagamit din ito for chronic pain sa mga patients na may pain na hindi ma-treat," Herbosa said. 

(This is usually used by anesthesiologists to remove pain during surgical procedures, and it’s also being used for patients that have untreatable chronic pain.) 

“Fentanyl is quick acting. It’s one one of the quickest acting pain relievers. In fact, ginagamit din namin ang fentanyl sa emergency department for severe trauma in cases na kailangan ng patient ng immediate pain control,” explained Herbosa.

(We also use fentanyl in the emergency department for severe trauma in case the patient needs immediate pain control.) 

So ‘yun ang fentanyl—it’s prohibited and it’s prescribed by physicians,” he added.

Cocaine, meanwhile, is considered an illegal and dangerous drug in the Philippines, as opposed to fentanyl, said Herbosa. 

“Cocaine naman is not a drug that’s being used. Cocaine is one of our dangerous drugs listed by the DDB (Dangerous Drugs Board) so it’s not in the market. ‘Yung fentanyl may FDA registration ‘yun eh. ‘Yung cocaine wala,” he explained.

(Fentanyl has an FDA registration, while cocaine doesn’t.) 

“It’s illegal and is part of the list of dangerous drugs and it comes in the country imported ng mga [by] drug pushers,” he continued. 

Over the weekend, former President Rodrigo Duterte accused President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. of being a drug addict. He also accused Marcos of being in the drug watch list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). 

Marcos has laughed off the accusation, saying it must be the effect of fentanyl, a drug Duterte has admitted to taking during his term as president. 

PDEA, meanwhile, said that Marcos was never on its drug watch list.

Duterte on Tuesday dared Marcos to undergo drug test in public to prove that he is not a drug user. —VAL, GMA Integrated News