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Tracy Hampton, PhD

JAMA. 2005;294:893.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 120 words of the full text and any section headings.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a public health advisory regarding the safe use of transdermal fentanyl patches for pain control. Deaths and overdoses have occurred in patients using both brand name and generic products, which contain an opioid analgesic medication.

The agency has also issued a patient information sheet and an alert to health care professionals that indicate safety precautions for the use of fentanyl patches, such as proper patch application, safeguards for children, and proper storage and disposal.

Investigations are under way to determine if the reported adverse events may be due to inappropriate use of the patch or factors related to the quality of the product. More information is available at http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/fentanyl/default.htm.