News & Blog
The opioid epidemic is a national problem, but solutions may be local. In Philadelphia, the Mayor’s Task Force to Combat the Opioid Epidemic recently released a reportwith 18 recommendations for a “comprehensive and coordinated plan to reduce opioid use disorder and its associated morbidity and mortality.” The report focuses on Philadelphia, but draws on data […]
In a recent report, the CDC tracks drug overdose deaths in the US between 1999-2015. The trends are not exactly what you might expect. Yes, given the recent press attention to the US opioid epidemic, the rates are predictable in that they are unacceptably high and increasing at a shocking rate. Age-adjusted drug overdose rates […]
May 17, 2017
In 2015, over 20,000 Americans died of an overdose related to prescription pain relievers; approximately 1 person every 26 minutes. A study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine highlights the correlation between emergency department prescribing practices and long-term prescription pain reliever use in Medicare patients. The research team from the Harvard T. […]
May 12, 2017
In collaboration with colleagues at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Dr. Czarina Behrends will assess naloxone distribution patterns, outcomes and required resources in New York City. She will use these data to develop a model for optimal allocation of those resources in order to prevent overdoses. Her project will use geospatial […]
April 21, 2017
The Department of Health and Human Services has announced it will soon provide $485 million in grants to help states and territories combat the opioid crisis. The funding, which is the first of two rounds provided for in the 21st Century Cures Act, will be provided through State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grants […]
Evidence supports mandating registration To address the crisis of opioid misuse, abuse, and overdose, every state but Missouri has implemented a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) that collects data from retail pharmacies on all dispensed controlled substances. PDMPs can help prescribers identify patients who might misuse or divert controlled substances, as well as patients who […]