Two custodians at the Israelite Hospital in Rome have been entered in the register of suspects for the theft of 80 vials of Fentanyl taken from the hospital's pharmacy. This was reported by la Repubblica, confirming a development in the investigation coordinated by the Rome prosecutor's office.

Established facts. The theft was discovered by pharmacy staff during an inventory check. The missing vials were initially counted at 60, but a subsequent verification brought the total to 80. According to the outlets that covered the story, approximately 16,000 doses could be obtained from the stolen packages. Fentanyl is an opioid analgesic that, when used outside therapeutic indications, is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and up to 50 times more potent than heroin.

The investigation. Checks were carried out by the carabinieri of the Investigative Unit and the NAS, alongside inspectors from the Ministry of Health. According to reports, the investigation had initially narrowed the circle of suspects to about twenty people with access to the safe key, including the guard corps. The inspections also brought to light security shortcomings: the keys to the locked cabinet were reportedly kept not inside the hospital pharmacy but in an adjacent room, accessible to anyone who had access to that area.

Destination of the vials. According to investigators, the hypothesis is that the theft was carried out on commission by someone familiar with the location and the drug's storage methods. It is speculated that the vials may have ended up on the black market, intended for abusive medical or aesthetic practices and clandestine operating rooms. For the time being, it has been ruled out that the drug ended up in the hands of drug dealers or in the narcotics trafficking circuit.

The reconstruction of the time period in which the vials were taken shows some discrepancies among sources: according to the investigation, the theft would fall between June 11 and June 23, while one outlet referred to the first days of July. Investigators and prosecutors maintain maximum secrecy on the case file.