http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/16/health/police-fentanyl-overdose-trnd/
A police officer in East Liverpool, Ohio, collapsed and was rushed to the hospital after he brushed fentanyl residue off his uniform, allowing the drug to enter his system through his hands. The officer had apparently encountered the opioid earlier in the day while making a drug bust.
"This is scary. He could have walked out of the building and left and he could have passed out while he was driving. You don't even know it's there on his clothes," East Liverpool Police Chief John Lane told CNN.
(Score: 1) by purple_cobra on Thursday May 18 2017, @08:21PM
Friend of a friend was prescribed fentanyl patches when he had terminal lung cancer. He told me at the time they were commonly abused by addicts who would put the patch on the skin, then use a hairdryer to warm it as that would increase the absorption rate. I've never looked it up - never had the need to do so - but this guy's story does sound rather fanciful. Different people have different reactions to various drugs, of course, and I'm not a doctor/pharmacist.
On a related note, I'm prescribed codeine for rheumatic problems and given its ability to act as arse cement, I shudder to think how much worse fentanyl would be in that regard. I suspect lactulose wouldn't do much in terms of counteracting it.