Fentanyl Research: Key to Fighting the Opioid Crisis

Abstract

Background/Objective: Fentanyl plays a pivotal role in the opioid epidemic, defined by four waves of overdose deaths. To analyse fentanyl research trends, examining its links to mental health, pharmaceutical development, healthcare, diseases, and pathophysiology within the broader social and health context of the time. Methods: To understand the evolution of scientific publications on fentanyl and its relationship to the opioid crisis, a search using Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed was conducted. A total of 53,670 documents were retrieved related to opioid scientific production, among which 1423 articles (3%) focused specifically on fentanyl. The 21,546 MeSH terms identified in these documents were analysed by publication year and specific fields: Psychiatry and Psychology, Chemicals and Drugs, Healthcare, Diseases, and Phenomena and Processes. R-statistical/FactoMineR libraries were used for the correspondence analysis. Results: In the first overdose death wave, research focused on improving therapies and reducing side effects. The second wave emphasised detoxification methods with naltrexone, methadone, and behavioural therapies. The third wave addressed psychological treatments and HIV-syringe-sharing prevention. The fourth wave prioritised less addictive analogues and understanding consumer profiles to combat the epidemic. Conclusions: Fentanyl research has evolved alongside real-world challenges, reinforcing the connection between patients' needs, healthcare professionals' roles, illicit users, policymakers, and the research community's contributions to addressing both therapeutic use and its broader societal impact. These findings highlight the necessity for an interdisciplinary approach to scientific research integrating prevention, treatment, education, legal reform, and social support, emphasising the need for public health policies and collaborative research to mitigate its impact.

Keywords: fentanyl; health care information; health care managers; health policy; opioids crisis; opioids mortality waves; scientific research.

Figure 1

Flow diagram of Fentanyl database search strategy.

Figure 2

Scientific production on fentanyl (1972–2022) represented by the MeSH terms from Branch F—“Psychiatry and Psychology” (correspondence analysis, total variability, 28.2%). Frequency threshold of the terms, 5.

Figure 3

Scientific production on fentanyl (1972–2022) shown by MeSH terms from Domain D Chemicals and Drugs” (correspondence analysis, total variability, 42.6%). Frequency threshold of the terms, 20.

Figure 4

Scientific production on fentanyl (1972–2022) presented by the MeSH terms from Branch N “Health care” (correspondence analysis, total variability, 31%). Frequency threshold of the terms, 10.

Figure 5

Scientific production on fentanyl (1972–2022) exhibited by the MeSH terms from Branch C “Diseases” (correspondence analysis, total variability, 33.6%). Frequency threshold of the terms, 5.

Figure 6

Scientific production on fentanyl (1972–2022) according to MeSH terms from Branch G “Phenomena and processes” (correspondence analysis, total variability, 23.6%). Frequency threshold of the terms, 7.