Please review this information and clinical guidance from the U.S. CDC regarding medetomidine in the illegal drug supply in the U.S. and a severe withdrawal syndrome due to medetomidine exposure. The Northeast region is the highest affected region in the country, and medetomidine has been detected in the drug supply in Maine.
Clinicians should consider medetomidine in suspected opioid overdoses with prolonged sedation unresponsive to Opioid Overdose Reversal Medications administration, consult a toxicologist or Northern New England Poison Center at 800-222-1222, and report clusters of unusual overdoses or atypical withdrawal presentations to the Maine CDC at 800-821-5821.
For more information on substance use and substance use disorder data, visit at https://mainedrugdata.org/.