Rome Hospital Fentanyl Theft Prompts Italy to Tighten Opioid Security
The theft of 80 fentanyl vials from a Rome hospital in late June, enough for an estimated 20,000 street doses worth up to €300,000, triggered an emergency Italian government response. Investigators suspect an inside job as the safe showed no signs of forced entry. Senior ministers agreed to form a technical working group to review opioid storage and traceability rules and increase police checks. Italy's addiction chief, Simona Pichini, stated the legal framework is already rigorous but enforcement and internal controls are lacking. The incident is part of a wider European concern, as fentanyl-related deaths across 15 EU countries nearly doubled from 129 to 208 between 2023 and 2024, with many linked to diverted medicines. A separate case in Florence involved forged prescriptions to obtain opioids. The EU's drugs strategy does not address hospital-level security, leaving national measures to fill the gap.
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