A 22-year-old man died and his friend was hospitalized after both took strong prescription drugs used to treat chronic pain. The men took the medicine from a Fentanyl patch, which is usually prescribed to cancer patients. Once in hand, they extracted the gel to get high.
At 5:41am emergency workers responded to 1504 Bowman. Once on scene, they found 22-year-old Charles Jackson and 29-year-old Jake Forrest lying on the ground unresponsive. Those who live there say they've never seen the men and have no idea why they were there.
An ambulance rushed both to hospitals but Jackson died. Forest was treated and released. After interviewing Forrest police say it looks like a drug overdose.
"He said he received some Fentanyl patches, cut into the patch and ingested the gel that's inside the patch," said Lt. Terry Hastings with the Little Rock Police Department.
"That's just Russian Roulette," Dr. Bill Bloodworth of Park West Pharmacy said. "That's just playing with fire."
Forrest also told police he also took 8 mg of hydromorphone which is usually used to treat cancer patients. "Getting that kind of a dose in one hour, it's a gross overdose," Dr. Bloodworth said.
Dr. Bloodworth says Fentanyl patches are extremely strong and are used to treat chronic pain. He says most likely the men extracted the gel and swallowed it, flooding the body with medication.
"I would say it's like a child playing with gas and matches at the same time. It's just uncalled for," Bloodworth said.
While abusing Fentanyl patches and hydromorphone is new, doctors and police say abusing prescription drugs is a huge problem.
"A lot of times we make drug arrests as well as finding illegal prescription pills as well," Hastings said.
"You are not getting enough oxygen and your respiratory is going to be depressed," Bloodworth said. And that's what could have killed Jackson.
Although it appears to be an overdose. Lt. Hastings says they are waiting on toxicology from the autopsy to confirm what Charles Jackson died of.
