1. The Opioid Epidemic

2. 144 drug overdose deaths per day
The CDC has reported 52,404 total overdose deaths in 2015 and 33,091 (63.1%) involved opioids
144 drug overdose deaths per day
The number is up 11.4% in just one year (up from 129/day in 2014)
Overdose deaths is the leading cause of injury death in the United States, surpassing those deaths due to gun violence or automobile injuries.
The death rates from synthetic opioids (other than methadone) increased by 72.2% from
Deaths caused by heroin overdose increased by 20.6%
19 states showed significant increases in drug overdose deaths from
Source: Rudd RA, Seth P, David F, Scholl L. Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths—United States, MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.ePub: 16 December DOI:

3. The Impact of Opioids in South Carolina
5,702 patients were discharges from emergency departments (EDs) with issues related to opiate abuse/dependence in 2015.
2,398 patients were discharged from EDs with issues related to opiate overdose/poisoning in 2015.
135% increase in service utilization at state-funded substance use disorder treatment programs for individuals looking for help with an opiate use disorder- from CY 2006 (2,469) – to CY 2016 (5,803).
Opioid-Related Deaths
In 2015, there were 594 opioid-related deaths in SC vs. 311 homicides. Up % from 2014 (508).

4. Growing opioid epidemic in the US with increase in drug overdoses driven largely by an explosion in addiction to prescription painkillers and heroin.
Estimated Age-adjusted Death Rates for Drug Poisoning by County, United States1
1999
2014
Active surveillance at the state level finds prevalence rates and incidence rates significantly higher than CDC estimates
Revised estimated range of 2,146-8,584 annual incident cases among people under 30 years in Massachusetts (16 – 24X the CDC estimate)
Many IDU cases in rural America where Public Health infrastructure is not in place
1 Rossen LM, et al. (2016) “Drug poisoning mortality: United States, 1999–2014.” National Center for Health Statistics, CDC.

5. Overview of Opioids What are Opioids How opioids work:
Includes illegal drugs like heroin as well as prescription meds used to treat pain such as Percocet, Oxycontin, etc. (more examples on following slides)
How opioids work:
They bind to specific receptors in the brain, spinal cord and GI tract and also:
Minimizes the “perception of pain”
Stimulates the “reward centers” in the brain
Effects other systems that regulate mood, breathing and blood pressure.

6. Opiates Are Drugs Derived from/similar to opium
Opioids
Not opioids
Cocaine or crack
Methamphetamines
Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Ativan, Klonopin)
Phenergan
Seroquel
Neurontin
Muscle Relaxers (Soma, Flexeril)
Alcohol
Heroin
Morphine (named after Morpheus-Greek God of sleep)
Methadone
OxyContin (long acting oral opioid)
Oxycodone (Percocet)
Hydrocodone (Lortab, Vicodin)
Fentanyl
Many others….
Often, overdoses involve one or more of the drugs on the right in combination with opioids.

7. How Does Overdose Occur?
Taking meds originally prescribed for someone else
Dosing error: by prescriber, pharmacist or patient’s misunderstanding of directions for use
Deliberate misuse of a prescription opioid or illicit drug like heroin
Heroin on market today is extremely inexpensive yet so pure it can be snorted.
We are seeing synthetic forms of fentanyl being mixed into heroin that is then snorted or injected. Both forms of administration can be deadly!
When mixing opioids with alcohol or certain other meds (even over- the-counter meds)

8. Who Is At Risk? Main categories include persons who:
Are using prescription opioids for long-term cancer management
Are using prescription opioids for non-medical use
Use heroin-- mainly due to:
Variation in strength/purity of “street” drugs or lack of knowledge of dosage/strength of pharmaceuticals (ex. may be laced with fentanyl)
Switching mode of administration (eating pills to snorting/snorting to injecting)
Inexperienced or new users
Using alone

9. Who Is at Risk Continued
Others at risk include persons:
Receiving rotating opioid medication regimens (risk for incomplete cross-tolerance)
Discharged from emergency medical care following opioid overdose/poisoning
With a known/legitimate medical need for analgesia and a suspected or confirmed history of substance abuse
With a lowered tolerance:
Completing mandatory or voluntary detoxification or abstinence only treatment program
Past user or abuser of opioids and recently released from incarceration
Mixing various drugs: opioids and benzodiazepines
Who have poor physical health:
(i.e. liver damage, asthma, immune deficiency/AIDS, malnutrition, etc.)

10. What Is Being Done in SC to Address the Opioid Epidemic?

11. Narcan ©(Naloxone HCI) Nasal Spray 4mg

12. How Naloxone Works
Opioids attach to brain receptors that minimizes pain but that also effects breathing
Naloxone reverses the effects of opioids by binding more strongly to the same receptors and temporarily “taking over” and knocking the drug off these sites so that breathing can be restored.
Only works on opioids. It does not work for overdoses caused by substances such as cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy, GHB, or alcohol.
It does not have the potential for abuse and does not increase risk-taking behavior. (cannot be used to get high and it is not addictive)
It has a long safety history and reported side effects are rare.
It can be easily and safely administered by laypersons.

13. See copy of joint protocol in handouts
The Joint Protocol
The joint protocol authorizes any pharmacist practicing in the State of South Carolina and licensed by the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy to dispense the following Naloxone-Hydrochloride products to persons without a prescription as directed pursuant to § of the South Carolina Code of Law.
See copy of joint protocol in handouts

14. The SC Overdose Prevention Project
Funding amount: $3,192,772
Project Period: Five years
Partner Agencies:
SC Department of Health and Environmental Control
(SC DHEC):
Bureau of Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
SC DHEC, Office of Public Health Statistics and Information Services (PHSIS)
The Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office
Overview of The SC Overdose Prevention Project
Role of the PDO Advisory Council

15. Suggested Reading Resource
Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health
Dreamland: by Sam Quinones
A True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic