Ablestock.com/ThinkstockBy DR. JENNIFER ASHTON, ABC News Senior Medical Contributor

It’s the drug that investigators now believe may have been responsible for Prince’s death. It’s called Fentanyl and now new reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that as overdose deaths from synthetic opioids continue to climb, law enforcement seizures of Fentayl are skyrocketing.

So here’s what you need to know if you’re prescribed Fentanyl:

• Short-term use of opioid narcotics is fine, especially after surgery and they can be safe and effective. But long-term, the risks start to go way up.  
• Ask you doctor about a plan. Are there alternative medications, or can you use other complementary therapies, like accupuncture?  
• And never mix Fentayl or other opioid narcotics with any other medication or alcohol without first checking with your pharmacist or a physician.

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