For the report, researchers analyzed opioid overdose data compiled by 10 states participating in the CDC’s State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System from July through December 2016. Participating states included Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Of the 5,152 opioid overdose deaths that occurred during the study period, 2,903 (56.3 percent) occurred in individuals who tested positive for fentanyl. Coroners or medical examiners directly attributed cause of death to fentanyl — a highly potent substance, about 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin — in 97.1 percent of the 2,903 fentanyl-positive cases. Additionally, 700 of the overall opioid overdose deaths tested positive for analogues of fentanyl. Carfentanil — a synthetic opioid 10,000 times more potent than morphine — was among the analogous substances detected.
“Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is now a major driver of opioid overdose deaths in multiple states, with a variety of fentanyl analogs increasingly involved, if not solely implicated, in these deaths,” wrote the authors of the report. “This finding raises concern that in the near future, fentanyl analog overdose deaths might mirror the rapidly rising trajectory of fentanyl overdose deaths that began in 2013 and become a major factor in opioid overdose deaths.”
More articles on opioids:
McKesson sends letter to president’s opioid commission urging 2 specific actions
Ohio county files opioid lawsuit against drugmakers, distributors
Endo to receive royalties from generic opioid it once called ‘unsafe’: 7 things to know
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
