Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa during a press briefing in Manila this file photo taken on December 15, 2023. INQUIRER.net file photo / NOY MORCOSO
MANILA, Philippines — Fentanyl and cocaine are drugs that are both “addictive,” but the former can be legally purchased through a prescription while the latter is illegally bought and sold, the Department of Health explained on Wednesday.
According to Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, fentanyl is one of the “quickest-acting pain relievers” on the market.
READ: Marcos shoots back: Ex-president Duterte takes fentanyl
“In fact, ginagamit din namin ang fentanyl sa emergency department for severe trauma in case kailangan ng patient ng immediate pain control,” he said during the sidelines of a media forum for the 2nd National Health Sector Meeting in Manila.
(In fact, we also use fentanyl in the emergency department for severe trauma in cases where the patient needs immediate pain control.)
“Yes, this is addictive,” Herbosa replied when asked whether fentanyl is an addictive drug.
Cocaine, on the other hand, is “one of the dangerous drugs” listed on the Dangerous Drugs Board.
“Yung fentanyl may FDA [Food and Drug Administration] registration ‘yun eh, yung cocaine wala, so it’s illegal. It is part of the list of dangerous drugs, and it comes in the country imported ng mga drug pushers,” Herbosa explained.
(The fentanyl has FDA [Food and Drug Administration] registration. That’s true. Unlike cocaine, which doesn’t have it. So it’s illegal; it’s part of the list of dangerous drugs, and it enters the country through imports by drug pushers.)
The queries on fentanyl and cocaine arose from the heated exchange of accusations between President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Marcos, on Monday, claimed that fentanyl has already taken a toll on Duterte’s health.
READ: Ex- Pres. Duterte has stopped taking fentanyl — Panelo
It was his rebuttal to the former state leader’s claim that he is using illegal drugs and is on the drug watch list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
“I think it’s the fentanyl. Fentanyl is the strongest painkiller you can buy. It is highly addictive, and it has very serious side effects, and PRRD has been taking the drug for a very long time now,” said Marcos in an ambush interview before he left for Vietnam.