From its synthesis by Dr. Paul Janssen in 1960 to its illegal synthesis by George Marquardt, a high school dropout and self-taught chemist, fentanyl plays a significant role in today’s drug abuse epidemic. Clinical pharmacist Phil Walls explains why fentanyl has gained momentum as an alternative to heroin, and what we can do to mitigate the risks posed to first responders.

COVID-19 is changing many aspects of modern life, and many of those changes will have long-lasting effects. Drug development is one of those aspects. In this edition of CompTalks, Phil Walls will take us on a Race for the Cure as he examines how both the pandemic as well as politics have influenced drug and vaccine development for the coronavirus. Walls will challenge the audience to think of drug development in a risk versus benefit model where speed to market comes with higher risks – but perhaps justifiable when lives are at stake.