Fentanyl goes by dozens of names depending on the context. In a pharmacy, it appears under brand names like Duragesic and Sublimaze. On the street, it circulates under slang terms like China Girl, Apache, and Murder 8. And in toxicology labs, it shows up alongside a family of chemical analogs with their own distinct names. Here’s a breakdown of every category.
Prescription Brand Names
Fentanyl is a Schedule II controlled substance, meaning it has legitimate medical uses but carries a high risk of dependence. When prescribed, it typically appears under these brand names:
- Duragesic: a transdermal patch applied to the skin, designed for around-the-clock pain relief
- Sublimaze: an injectable form used primarily in hospital and surgical settings
- Actiq: a lozenge on a stick (sometimes called a “lollipop”) for breakthrough cancer pain
- Abstral: a tablet that dissolves under the tongue
- Fentora: a tablet that dissolves against the inside of the cheek
- Onsolis: a dissolvable film placed inside the cheek
Several of these branded products are no longer on the market, though generic versions remain available. You may also see fentanyl listed simply as “fentanyl citrate” on pharmacy labels, which is the salt form used in most formulations.
Street and Slang Names
Illicit fentanyl has accumulated a long list of street names. The DEA identifies the following slang terms specifically associated with fentanyl:
- Apache
- China Girl
- China Town
- Dance Fever
- Friend
- Goodfellas
- Great Bear
- He-Man
- Jackpot
- King Ivory
- Murder 8
- Poison
- Tango & Cash
These names shift over time and vary by region. Some refer to fentanyl on its own, while others describe fentanyl mixed with heroin or other drugs. The name “Poison” is notably blunt, reflecting how even small amounts can be lethal. Fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
Names for Counterfeit Pills
One of the most dangerous ways fentanyl reaches people is through counterfeit prescription pills. These are pressed to look like real oxycodone, Xanax, or Adderall tablets but contain illicit fentanyl instead. The most common are fake oxycodone 30mg pills stamped with an “M” inside a box on one side and “30” on the other. On the street, these go by names like Blues, 30s, Roxy, and Dirty 30s. Someone buying what they think is oxy, beans, or buttons may actually be getting fentanyl with no way to know the dose.
Chemical and Scientific Names
Fentanyl’s formal chemical name is N-(1-phenethyl-4-piperidyl) propionanilide. You’ll rarely encounter this outside of a lab or a research paper, but it sometimes appears in toxicology reports or legal documents. The molecular formula is C₂₂H₂₈N₂O, and the prescription form (fentanyl citrate) adds a citrate salt, making the full formula C₂₂H₂₈N₂O·C₆H₈O₇.
Fentanyl Analogs
Fentanyl belongs to a broader family of synthetic opioids, and several close chemical relatives have their own names. These analogs are often grouped under the umbrella of “fentanyl” in news coverage, but they are technically distinct substances with different potencies.
Three analogs are used in legitimate medicine:
- Sufentanil: used in surgical anesthesia, roughly 5 to 10 times more potent than fentanyl
- Alfentanil: a shorter-acting anesthetic used in operating rooms
- Remifentanil: an ultra-short-acting anesthetic that wears off within minutes
Then there are analogs found almost exclusively in the illicit drug supply. The most notorious is carfentanil, which is approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl itself. It was originally developed as a tranquilizer for large animals like elephants. The CDC tracks carfentanil separately in overdose data because even trace amounts can be fatal to humans.
Under federal law, substances that are structurally and pharmacologically similar to a Schedule I or Schedule II drug can be regulated as controlled substance analogs, even if they aren’t explicitly listed by name. This allows law enforcement to prosecute new fentanyl analogs as they appear on the market, since illicit chemists frequently tweak the molecule to try to stay ahead of scheduling.
Why the Names Matter
Knowing fentanyl’s many names is practical for a few reasons. If you see an unfamiliar term on a toxicology report, a police blotter, or in a conversation, recognizing it as fentanyl can be critical. Parents searching a child’s messages, people navigating substance use disorder, or anyone trying to understand a news story about overdose deaths may encounter these terms without context. A reference to “blues” or “China Girl” might not register as fentanyl without this knowledge, and the stakes of that gap are high given the drug’s extreme potency.