Springfield police issued a warning that they have seized counterfeit pills that look like Oxycodone but are being passed off as another drug, Percocet. The fake pills might have the dangerous drug fentanyl mixed in with them.
The counterfeit pills have cause several overdoses, according to police.
Oxycodone and Percocet are opioid pain medications commonly prescribed by physicians. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine and is commonly added to heroin or other controlled substances to increase the drug's potency.
The recent trend involving counterfeit prescription pills poses a threat to those who encounter them, police said.
Fentanyl can be absorbed into the body via inhalation or skin contact. It can be extremely dangerous and has been a major contributor to opioid overdoses and deaths.
Police advise anyone taking prescription medications to only obtain them from a licensed medical prescriber or pharmacy.
