Over the last year, drug checking services and emergency clinicians in parts of the UK and Europe have begun identifying medetomidine  appearing in the illicit drug supply. While unfamiliar to most people outside veterinary medicine, medetomidine is raising serious concern because of its potent sedative effects, unpredictable dosing, and high risk when combined with opioids . What is medetomidine? Medetomidine is a veterinary sedative and analgesic , primarily used to sedate