Interior Health has issued a health advisory for a street drug that contains a very high overdose risk.
According to the health agency, the eight-milligram pill looks like a hydromorphone tablet or a dilaudid tablet.
However, the drug contains five per cent isotonitazene, which Interior Health says is equally or more potent than fentanyl.
“Isotonitazene is equally or more potent than fentanyl,” said IH. “This means that these fake tablets may be 20-plus times stronger than real dilaudid or hydromorphone tablets.”
Interior Health says the only way to ensure a tablet is genuine is to get it directly from a pharmacist, or have it drug-checked.
More information about the drug crisis is available on Interior Health’s website.