With the Tri-State amidst a spate of heroin overdoses, Gov. John Kasich is scheduled to speak at the Regional Judicial Opoid Initiative at 12:45 p.m. Thursday at the Netherland Plaza Hotel Downtown.
Advertisement
Ohio Department of Health Medical Director Mary DiOrio credits much of the continued decline to changes in prescribing guidelines being embraced by doctors who also are increasingly monitoring of the Ohio prescription database to better prevent multiple doctors prescribing pain killers to the same patient. “There were 81 million fewer opioid doses dispensed to OH patients since the state took initiatives to curb opiates, and the number of people who try to get controlled substances from multiple doctors has dramatically decreased”.
Ohio’s governor sees progress in the state’s anti-drug efforts, despite a new report that shows another record death toll from accidental overdoses.
In an otherwise-gloomy report, there were two positive notes: 81 million fewer doses of opiate painkillers were prescribed in 2015 compared to 2011, and the use of naloxone, a drug used to reverse potentially fatal overdoses, jumped to 19,782 doses past year, 7,207 more than 2013.
“These are battles that we need to win so that we can wage a more effective war”, Mr. Kasich said. Just 84 people died from fentanyl-related overdoses in 2013.
Heroin was the second-biggest driver of Ohio’s results, accounting for 1,424 unintentional overdose deaths in 2015, up from 1,196 in 2014 and 983 in ’13.
Accidental drug overdoses killed a record 3,050 people in OH previous year. It’s aimed at improving cooperation across borders and jurisdictions in battling opioid abuse, mainly from prescription painkillers and heroin. Fentanyl overdose deaths spiked so quickly past year that scientists with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention visited the state to study the problem. In 2015, Ohio EMS personnel administered 19,782 doses of naloxone – 7,207 more doses than in 2013.
Tracking: Integrate the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System into more electronic medical records and pharmacy dispensing systems, and make educational information about opioid prescribing part of the licensure process for physicians.
Meanwhile, guidance issued for prescribers helped reduce the number of opioid doses given to patients a year ago by 81 million compared with 2011 figures, decreasing the leftover drugs that might be available for abuse, according to the state report.
Officials concede the problem has grown, but they have hope of making headway.
Emergency response: Provide resources to make more naloxone available and expand public awareness campaign about the opioid overdose reversal drug.
Numerous responses aren’t drug-specific, meaning they could still be useful however the problem evolves next, said Dr. Mary DiOrio, the state medical director.
Advertisement
“We’re suffering for that generation who never really understood the lethality of that medication”, he said.
