Fentanyl is a pharmaceutical opioid that is prescribed for the management of severe pain. It is about 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine.

Opioids are depressant drugs that act on the central nervous system and work to slow down messages travelling between the brain and body.

In Australia, fentanyl is available as a restricted medicine (Schedule 8), meaning that it can only be legally obtained with a doctor’s prescription.