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Alphamethylacetylfentanyl
Introduction
α-methylacetylfentanyl is an opioid analgesic that is an analogue of fentanyl.
α-methylacetylfentanyl was sold briefly on the black market in the early 1980s, before the introduction of the Federal Analog Act which for the first time attempted to control entire families of drugs based on their structural similarity rather than scheduling each drug individually as they appeared. [1] α-methylacetylfentanyl is made with the same synthetic route as α-methylfentanyl, but by substituting the relatively common acetic anhydride for the more difficult to obtain chemical propanoic anhydride in the synthesis.
α-methylacetylfentanyl has similar effects to fentanyl. Side effects of fentanyl analogues are similar to those of fentanyl itself, which include itching, nausea and potentially serious respiratory depression which can be life-threatening.
References
- ↑ Henderson GL. Designer Drugs: Past History and Future Prospects. Journal of Forensic Sciences 1988; 33(2):569-575