Sarah May Casareto, 33, has been charged with theft of a controlled substance by the county attorney’s office on Wednesday. Casareto had reportedly signed out 500 micrograms of fentanyl, a controlled pain reliever, intended for use on 56-year-old patient Larry King, during a kidney procedure in November.

According to the police, however, only 150 micrograms of fentanyl were administered to King, based on hospital records. Three hundred micrograms were said to have been wasted, while 50 micrograms were unaccounted for.

As a result, King said that during his surgery, he felt pain that he described as being on a level “nine out of ten.” The criminal complaint filed against Casareto indicated that the nurse had told King that he ought to “man up here and take some of the pain” while undergoing the procedure.

Mike Freeman, Hennepin County Attorney, commented: “We’ve seen cases in which medical professionals have taken things from the narcotics box they’re not entitled to… But what kind of made this one unique — and, frankly, liable to be charged — is she not only took it from the hospital, she took it from (the patient), because it was designated for him.”

This story serves as yet another reminder of how widespread abuse of prescription drugs is.

This meteoric rise of prescription drug abuse is due to several reasons. The fact that these drugs – usually painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin, and Fentanyl – are basically legal substances that are prescribed by doctors for legitimate reasons, people think that it is safer, regardless of whether it is used properly or abused.

Sally Thoren, executive director of Gateway Foundation, an organization that provides substance abuse treatment, said: “People think, ‘It comes from the doctor. Mom took it for a toothache or a broken bone. How bad can it be?’”

Another reason for the surge is the fact that there was also an increase in doctor prescriptions for painkillers, a trend that began in the 1990s. According to Kathleen Kane-Willis, director of Roosevelt University’s Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy, the greater availability of prescription painkillers became the catalyst for more widespread abuse: “In the 80s and early 90s, there was so little pain medicine prescribed… Now, the pendulum has kind of swung the other way.”

She suggested that while there is no need to deny pain medication to people who need them, it is important for doctors to have frank conversations with their patients regarding the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

Fentanyl, which is many times more potent than morphine, has helped many cancer patients deal with intense pains and is the most widely used synthetic opioid. Although it is most often applied as transdermal patches, another popular form of fentanyl is as lollipops.

The fentanyl lollipop is actually a solid formulation of fentanyl citrate attached to a plastic stick and is taken through the mouth. The Actiq fentanyl lollipop  by Cephalon is a berry-flavored lozenge on a stick that is swabbed on the buccal mucosa to release the fentanyl into the bloodstream. It has been of tremendous help to those suffering from bone injuries, severe back pain, neuropathy, and even severe arthritis. Generic versions have been made available since 2006.

Concerns are growing, though, on the illegal distribution of this lollipop. In the streets, this is also known as morphine lollipop or perc-a-pop. Just like with other opioids, the fentanyl lollipop can be habit forming and is prone to misuse, abuse and overdose. With its high potency, its ease of application and its sweet taste, abuse becomes even more likely.

These lollipops are said to cost twice as much when obtained illegally as compared to when obtained for legal medical uses. The use of fentanyl outside proper medical guidance can be very dangerous and has already resulted in numerous deaths.