April 30, 2010, 06:00:00AM. By Charles Benson

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Omaha, NE: The police in Omaha, Nebraska are on the look out for a thief accused of targeting a local pharmacy and making off with a number of dangerous pain medications, including Actiq fentanyl and oxycodone.

Earlier in the week, a lone gunman held up an area Walgreens and left with several fentanyl patches, along with other medications and money from the cash register.

Nebraska police have expressed serious concerns about the theft of fentanyl, which is said to be particularly dangerous. Commonly prescribed for patients dealing with chronic pain from cancer, the medication is considered highly addictive even among more commonly abused prescription pain medications like morphine.

Dr. Jeff Baldwin, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, claims that the drug, though not commonly known, has become popular over the years thanks to its availability in easy-to-use forms like the Actiq lollipop and the transdermal patch.

"It's a drug that's pretty well-known in addiction circles," Baldwin told the local ABC News affiliate. "Pharmacists and law enforcement would agree, because this drug is so addictive, people will do anything such as holding up a Walgreen's to get it."

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