An investigation is underway into the theft of 80 vials of fentanyl from the pharmacy of the Israelitico hospital in Rome. The missing vials were discovered in two stages: a first count on June 22 or 23 revealed a shortage of 60 vials from the safe, while a second check the following day found 20 more missing. This led investigators to hypothesize that the theft occurred in two separate moments rather than a single episode. The last inventory check before the discovery dated back to June 11, placing the theft within that two-week window. The pharmacy manager filed a report with the Carabinieri del Trullo, leading to the opening of a case for theft and possession for the purpose of trafficking. The investigation is coordinated by prosecutors of the Rome Prosecutor's office and involves the Investigative Unit of the Carabinieri, the NAS, and the Compagnia Roma EUR. During an inspection, Carabinieri and NAS personnel examined documents, drug acquisition records, and the management of the key to the narcotics cabinet that contained the vials. According to what has emerged, the key to both the armored deposit door and the safe is kept at the porter's desk and is accessible to about twenty people authorized to use it, including the security corps responsible for the pharmacy during closing hours. For this reason, investigators do not rule out the involvement of someone inside the hospital structure, with particular attention to those tasked with guarding the key. Video footage from the hospital's internal cameras has been acquired by the Carabinieri. According to reports, the risk exists that some images may have already been overwritten by the recording system, though one camera positioned on the corridor where the deposit is located could still provide useful material. The registry records on drug management were found to be largely incomplete or unclear during the inspection, a notable issue given that fentanyl in vials should be reserved exclusively for anesthesiologists during surgical procedures. Investigators will need to cross-reference the list of people authorized to access the key with operating room documents to determine how many procedures were performed, when the drug was used, and by whom. It will also be necessary to verify how much fentanyl was delivered to the hospital in recent months and whether the theft concerns only this drug or whether other smaller shortages may have gone unnoticed. The hospital's extraordinary commissioner has launched an internal review, and inspections by the Lazio Region have begun, to be followed by those of the Ministry of Health. Separately, the Ministry of Health has issued a circular recalling the central role of the National Plan for the Prevention of Improper Use of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, presented in 2024 by the Department for Anti-Drug Policies of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. The document prescribes a very high level of vigilance on the use of white prescriptions to prevent falsification or improper use, and provides pharmacies with a set of guidelines to standardize practices across the national territory.