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Health and Social Services Secretary Alex Azar said today that new preliminary government data indicated a slowdown in the number of drug overdose deaths in the United States.
Azar, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said overdose deaths began to subside in December 2017 and early 2018 – some 68,690 deaths were reported in March, a decrease from the 70,780 recorded in November 2017.
"Reaching such a high level is hardly an opportunity to proclaim victory," Azar said in a speech at the Milken Institute's Health Futures Summit in Washington, DC. "But the concerted efforts of communities across America are starting to turn the tide," he said.
The CDC keeps a provisional count of overdose deaths. The latest monthly update – for the 12 months ending March 2018 – predicts an end-of-year figure of 71,073 deaths. That would be a little less than the 72,000 deaths expected just a few months ago. In 2016 – the last year for which accurate data are available – 63,632 people died as a result of an overdose; Opioids were involved in 42,249 (66.4%) of the deaths. The opioid overdose rate has increased by almost 30% between 2015 and 2016. Final data is not yet available for 2017.
However, in the preliminary data, some of the hardest hit states – Kentucky, Massachusetts, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont – have seen a decrease in overdose deaths, while many more states have increased. Nebraska experienced an impressive 48% increase in overdose deaths and California recorded a 9% increase to 5,390 deaths.
Azar, however, said he saw other positive signs indicating a decrease in overdoses. Since January 2017, the number of patients receiving buprenorphine has increased by 21% and the number of prescriptions of naltrexone has increased by 47%, said Azar. Monthly prescriptions for naloxone increased by 368%.
Azar also said that between 2015 and 2017, the number of Americans who had abused prescription opioids and whoever had initiated heroin use had both significantly decreased .
But data from the CDC shows that overdose deaths from fentanyl, cocaine and potentially abusive psychostimulants (such as methamphetamine) have continued to increase.
At the conference, Azar announced a new opioid initiative sponsored by HHS. According to the MOM (Matuse Opioid Misuse) model used by the mother, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) will partner with national Medicaid programs to help establish coordinated and integrated care that includes health care. physics, behavioral care and integrated services.
The CMMI will conclude up to 12 cooperation agreements with States. Awarded Medicaid agencies will establish integrated programs with local partners. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will allocate a total of $ 64.5 million to states over a five-year period and are expected to begin soliciting applications in early 2019.
The program is seen as a crucial new way to reduce neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) and help pregnant women and postpartum women, according to CMS. The agency noted that infants exposed to opioids before birth are at higher risk of being premature, having low birth weight and suffering from SIN.
Medicaid is the main payer of hospitalization expenses related to the use of substances by the mother; It also bears most of the annual cost of $ 1.5 billion NAS, CMS said.
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