Author: Saba, Ann H

Opioid Overdose and Deaths

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Prescription opioids and heroin

Month, Day, 2017

ISSUE BRIEF

Facts about opioids

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In the United States...	In Iowa...[insert facts about your state]
Opioid overdoses became the leading cause of injury death in 2011, surpassing transportation-related injuries.	Prescription opioid deaths have quadrupled in the past 20 years.
More than 250,000 Americans have died from opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2015 (over 33,000 died from opioid overdoses in 2015).	Prescription opioid death rates are lower compared to other states; however, Iowa trends in OPR overdose deaths are similar to national trends seen over time.
Heroin use is a rapidly growing problem and is associated with non-medical use of prescription opioid pain relievers (OPRs). Heroin is cheaper and more accessible than OPRs.	Heroin overdose death rates have increased more than nine-fold in the past 15 years.

Policies to address the opioid epidemic

Does Iowa have this?

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) allow prescribers to access their state’s online database of dispensed prescriptions of controlled substances to patients. This helps prescribers identify possible opioid misuse and inform treatment decisions.		*Registration and use of IA PDMP is not mandatory .
Stricter prescribing guidelines can include: requiring physician oversight of pain treatment; providing dosing criteria; and offering guidance for prescribers on how to seek consultation, use the PDMP, and track clinical progress using assessment tools.
Naloxone laws increase access to this life-saving opioid overdose medication by authorizing pharmacists to dispense it to eligible recipients including first responders and family members in a position to assist an at-risk person.		*IA has a standing naloxone order
Requiring or encouraging insurance coverage of medicated assisted treatment (MAT) and evidenced-based behavioral therapies can increase access to opioid addiction treatment.

Examples of opioid overdose prevention

Community-based initiatives like prescription disposal drop boxes and public education media campaigns
Surveillance of opioid overdoses and death, opioid addiction and supply sources, including real-time data
Prescriber education in pain management, prescription opioid prescribing and high-risk patients

Resources & Partners

This template was designed by the University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center. Other partners: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Safe States Alliance; National Safety Council

Guide for using the policy brief template. Do not print this page.

In the masthead:
Include title of brief and date.
Include your organization's logo or use a photo.

Example of sites where you can get free online photos:
www.flickr.com You must give photo credit and include license. Example: Photo by Anthony Auston http://bit.ly/2fSSbtZ/ CC BY
Example of site where you can purchase stock photos:
istock.com

Where you can get facts about opioids in your state:
CDC WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) is an interactive, online database that provides fatal and nonfatal injury, violent death and cost of injury data.

Where you can information about opioid policies in your state:
The website of your state’s legislature. For example: (Iowa’s) https://www.legis.iowa.gov/
The website of your state’s Board of Medicine
The website of your state’s Board of Pharmacy
Reports from you state’s College of Public Health
SAMHSA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (has information on federal laws and lists buprenorphine prescribers by state)
National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws. Compilation of Prescription Monitoring Program Maps. 2016. Accessed at http://www.namsdl.org/library/CAE654BF-BBEA-211E-694C755E16C2DD21/
State Profiles. Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Technical and Training Assistance Center. http://pdmpassist.org/content/state-profiles

Other helpful resources:
The Prescription Opioid Epidemic: An Evidence-Based Approach; 2015. http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/center-for-drug-safety-and-effectiveness/opioid-epidemic-town-hall-2015/2015-prescription-opioid-epidemic-report.pdf