UMADAOP Magazine

While prescription opioid doses decrease in Ohio, deaths from fentanyl rise &

Growing addiction In tandem with the growing number of deaths associated with fentanyl, the number of illicit fentanyl drugs con scated by the Drug Enforcement Administration has increased as well, according to the CDC. Ohio led the nation with the highest number of fentanyl drug seizures in 2014, at 1,245 illicit drugs seized, according to the CDC. More than 80 percent of drug seizures were concentrated in 10 states. California, the most populous state in the nation, meanwhile, had less than 20 seizures of illicit fentanyl in the second half of 2014, the CDC reports. “Fentanyl has been a huge concern,” Nelson Ramirez, executive director at the Hispanic UMADAOP says. Fentanyl use can include a variety of side eects, including dizziness, dry mouth, weakness or severe constipation, according to WebMD.

While fewer prescription opiate doses were dispensed in Ohio, deaths related to drug overdose continue to rise. Overdose deaths related to fentanyl signi cantly contributed to the rise of drug addiction-related deaths, according to the Ohio Department of Health. In 2014, fentanyl contributed to 502 drug overdose deaths, whereas one year earlier, it contributed to just 84 overdose-related deaths, according to the Ohio Department of Mental Health. In 2014, drug overdose deaths, including both opioids and heroin, reached record levels in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Like many states, Ohio saw an increase in the number of deaths related to drug overdose; deaths attributed to drug overdose in Ohio increased by 17.6 percent, to 2,482 in 2014. Fentanyl is up to 50 times more potent than heroin, and 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the CDC.

“We are right in the middle of this epidemic, as an organization, and as a treatment center.”

“Fentanyl has been a huge concern.” - Nelson Ramirez,

- Nelson Ramirez executive director at Hispanic UMADAOP

“Cautiously Optimistic” A decrease in the number of prescribed opioids represents a shift in opioid addiction in Ohio. At this decrease, Ramirez says he is cautiously optimistic. Ohio patients received 42 million fewer prescribed opioid doses between 2012 and 2014, according to Ohio Governor John Kasich’s o ce. “„at’s very encouraging,” Ramirez says. “I think doctors are getting the message, and are understanding the root cause of this opioid epidemic.” In 2006, the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy established the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS) to help target the misuse of prescription drugs.„e system collects information on all outpatient prescriptions and allows prescribers to avoid potentially life-threatening drug interactions, as well as identify individuals who might be ‘doctor shopping,’ according to the OARRS website. Also, the Hispanic UMADAOP has built relationships with local organizations, such as the Cleveland Free Clinic.„rough these, UMADAOP has been able to partner with needle exchanges, organizations that provide naloxone treatment for those suering an overdose, and other treatment centers. “We are right in the middle of this epidemic, as an organization, and as a treatment center,” Ramirez says. Doctors are becoming more aware of the problem, and are not prescribing opioids as openly and freely, says Marketa Robinson, executive director of the Dayton UMADAOP. “Everyone is accountable to help x this,” Robinson says.

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