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BOSTON – Massachusetts is still struggling with an opioid crisis with more than 1,500 deaths in the first nine months of 2018, the most related to strong synthetic fentanyl, according to new figures released Friday.
The Department of Public Health's latest quarterly report on opioid-related deaths also reported some encouraging trends, including a slight decrease in the number of overdose deaths from last year, and a continued reduction in the number of deaths from overdose deaths. Prescriptions written by doctors for opioid analgesics.
The report says that there were 1,518 opioid-related overdose deaths until September of this year, a number that includes deaths that would have been caused by an overdose and others that should be added to the list once an official decision has been made. In 2017, the state reported 1,538 overdose deaths confirmed and estimated.
Although there have been fewer deaths so far this year, the state does not appear to be on the verge of matching the 4% decline that occurred between 2016 and 2017.
Fentanyl was present in 90% of toxicology reports of opioid deaths in the second quarter of the current year, a figure that has tripled since 2014, the report says. On the other hand, heroin, which accounts for more than 70% of opioid-related deaths that year, dropped to 37% between April and June of the current year.
"The epidemic of opioids, fueled by a record amount of fentanyl, remains a tragic public health crisis, responsible for the deaths of many people in Massachusetts," Republican Governor Charlie Baker said in a statement. accompanying the report. "While we still have a lot of work to do, we are encouraged by the fact that the number of overdose deaths and opioid prescriptions continues to decrease as the number of searches in the prescription monitoring program increases. Commonwealth increases. "
The legislation signed by Baker in 2016 was for the excessive or unnecessary use of opioid-dependent painkillers by limiting opioid prescribing for the first time to a 7-day supply and allowing patients to ask pharmacies for a drug. Run less complete prescription of opioids.
About 547,000 opioid prescriptions in Table II were reported to the surveillance program in the third quarter of this year, down 35% from 2015, the report says. Prescription drugs were present in 17% of the toxicology reports on overdose deaths in the second quarter of 2018.
After signing a bill earlier this year that closes a loophole in state legislation that hinders the prosecution of fentanyl-related crimes, Mr. Baker recently introduced a $ 5 million bill to help order to step up and coordinate efforts to ban fentanyl.
State officials also said Friday that opioid overdose deaths among black men increased by 44% in 2017, even though their numbers had decreased.
"We are also targeting public awareness campaigns for black communities in Massachusetts, including an awareness campaign about the importance of carrying naloxone, the opioid substitution drug," said Dr. Monica Bharel, Commissioner public health of the state.
A study released earlier this week by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, detailing the economic impact of the opioid crisis, revealed a multi-billion dollar productivity loss due to employees whose job performance was compromised or unable to work. no longer work at all because of opioid addiction. The report also cautiously set annual health care costs related to the epidemic – public and private – at $ 4.5 billion, while noting that this figure is likely underestimated.
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