We want to hear from you Send your news information to news@thesunday.com
In 2010, Nevada’s overdose death rate was
20.7
for every 100,000 people
The national average was
12.4
for every 100,000 people
n In 2011, total health care costs in Nevada related to opioid abuse were estimated to be about
$238 million
Nearly all of this was due to excess medical costs, while only a fraction was attributed to substance abuse treatment and prevention programs.
n About 2 million Americans abused or depended on prescription opioids in 2014. In 2014, about
14,000 Americans died from overdoses related to prescription drugs.
In 2014,
382
Nevadans
died of drug overdoses.
n Hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin) and methadone are the most common drugs involved in prescription opioid overdose deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. n Federal data reveal that prescription drug abusers are increasingly turning to heroin. This has been especially true as prescription opioids have become more difficult to access. Sources: CDC, Matrix Global Advisors, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Governor’s Report
tan Drug Overdose Act, which expanded access to naloxone and provided a measure of immunity from low-level drug offenses for calling 911 as a witness of an overdose. “I am proud of what we have accomplished,” Sandoval said in a statement. “But there is more work to be done, and the summit helped provide a framework for the policy changes we will look to implement during the next regular session, and also created guidelines for a collaborative path forward.” Policymakers, health care providers and first responders examined the issue this fall during a two-day summit by looking at four areas: prescriber guidelines, treatment options, criminal justice intervention and data collection. In a summary of findings from the meeting, released last month, the recommendations for action and possible legislation focused on three areas: n A data-driven approach: Nevada already uses data to find trends about overprescribing and patients who shop for doctors willing to write prescriptions for opioids. The report recommends making it easier for different parties, from law enforcement to public health professionals, to share data through agreements that comply with privacy laws. Many recommendations focus on creating a centralized data center to inform policy decisions. n Raise public awareness: These recommendations include providing more information about medical interventions like naloxone and creating a website to help Nevadans report concerns about prescription drug abuse. Another key outreach suggestion was to educate physicians about non-opioid pain management and how insurance covers those options. n Make resources accessible: In this area, the summary of findings recommended expanding accessibility to medication-assisted treatment, which addresses substance abuse with a combination of therapy and medication. It also stressed the importance of confronting workforce shortages, especially in rural areas, and considered deploy-
news
21
the sunday
ing mobile medical units to more areas. The report also recommended screening patients for signs of substance abuse and providing those patients with early treatment. The summit and its findings stemmed from a multiyear effort by Sandoval to address prescription drug abuse, which has been tied to the uptick of heroin-related deaths across the U.S. A task force led by first lady Kathleen Sandoval developed a statewide action plan, and the summit’s goal was to pull together recommendations before the Legislature meets next year. Engle called the findings a “step in the right direction” but cautioned against a punitive approach that relied on law enforcement rather than one that included treatment and preventive measures. “We need to figure out how to stop the bleeding,” he said. “We’re hemorrhaging right now.” Many of these efforts coincide with a renewed focus at the federal level on addiction and a recognition of the need to shift away from a “war on drugs” mentality that led to a steep rise in incarceration and largely affected communities of color. The U.S. surgeon general, for instance, has pledged to release this year the first-ever report on substance abuse and addiction. And the Obama administration has urged Congress to approve $1.1 billion in federal funding to confront the issue, a move that could leave Nevada with a $9 million apportionment of funds. A spokesperson for the WestCare Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that provides treatment in Nevada, emphasized the importance of early intervention, closing loopholes in the health system that might push a patient to heroin, and tackling co-occurring issues such as mental health. “As an agency passionate about public health care, the message we want to help keep in play is the same message that came from the summit: We know that the addiction problem is stemming from a crisis in our health care system,” said Robert Vickery, WestCare’s director of communications. “We are seeing a phenomenon,” he added.
nov. 20-Nov. 26