Was a former heroin addict impaired prior to a fatal car accident? Are first responders really overdosing due to small traces of casual contact with fentanyl? Was it an illegal street drug — or legal prescription — that led to an accidental drug death?
Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic has only led to a resurgence of opioid use, abuse… and death. Lawyers — both civil & criminal — are seeing an increase in opioid related claims in their cases and many are ill-equipped to decipher and interpret the results of drug screens and explain toxicology methods to judges and jurors. In this in-depth CLE course Dr. Allison A. Muller will shed light on legal issues involved with opioids by: listing three effects of opioids on the body, stating 2 unexpected sources of opioids, showing one common drug that can intensify toxicity, explaining pitfalls in interpreting drug screens and stating common reasons for the presence of morphine in the blood. Additional topics include: opioid receptors, opioid antagonists, benzodiazepines, Naltrexone, Naloxone, Buprenorphine, the “Poppy Seed” defense and metabolites.
Dr. Muller is a board-certified toxicologist, fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, and registered pharmacist with over 20 years’ experience in the field of clinical toxicology.