New warnings over powerful synthetic opioid found in counterfeit pills

RICHMOND, Va. — A dangerous synthetic opioid is raising concerns among health officials and recovery advocates as reports of overdoses and deaths linked to the drug emerge across the country.

Cychlorphine belongs to a class of synthetic opioids known as orphines. The DEA first detected the drug in the United States in 2024, and researchers say it is 10 times more dangerous than fentanyl.

“It’s real. It exists. It’s being dispersed all over the country right now, and it’s increasing every day,” said Cricket Ronquest with the McShin Foundation.

One of the biggest concerns is that people may not know they are taking cychlorphine.

Dr. John Downs with the Virginia Poison Center said the drug has been found in counterfeit medications made to look like prescription pills.

“The real risk for these, it seems, thus far, is they’ve been placed into some counterfeit medications,” Downs said. “So people are buying what they think on the street is a prescription medication, and then actually what it is is a pressed form of these high-potency synthetic opioids like cychlorphine, and then unfortunately succumbing to the effects of that.”

Downs said cychlorphine is receiving new attention following recent deaths in Tennessee and Mississippi. Since March, at least 24 states have reported overdoses or deaths linked to the drug.

There are currently no confirmed cases in Virginia, but experts caution that does not necessarily mean the drug has not reached the state. Without specialized testing, cychlorphine can be difficult to identify.

At the McShin Foundation in Henrico County, recovery advocates say that lack of awareness is concerning.

“There’s been unexpected overdoses, and nobody’s able to find out what it is because the labs aren’t testing for it,” Ronquest said.

As new synthetic opioids continue to emerge, Ronquest said the foundation focuses on giving people in recovery the education and tools they need before they are confronted with the opportunity to use a new or familiar drug.

“What we do is just try to offer tools and skills and education to build a solid foundation in recovery, to combat any of those thoughts of wanting to try a new drug or to re-experiment with old drugs that they used to use,” Ronquest said.

She said experimenting with an unknown substance carries potentially deadly consequences.

“Your chances of overdosing and potentially dying are far greater than your chances of enjoying any kind of buzz that you could potentially get from it,” Ronquest said. “Not worth it.”

Health experts say the broader warning is to never assume that a pill purchased on the street contains what someone claims it does.

Downs also encouraged families to talk openly about substance use and the dangers associated with buying pills outside licensed pharmacies.

“Everyone should have frank and open discussions with family members and kids about substance use in general, and particularly that when you’re buying things from non-pharmacies off the streets,” Downs said.

Anyone who suspects an overdose should call 911 immediately. The Virginia Poison Center can also be reached at 1-800-222-1222 for guidance.

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