BOSTON — Opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts have declined steadily over the past three quarters, despite the recent uptick in fentanyl-laced opioids, according to a new report from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health released on Friday.
The DPH report shows opioid-related deaths have fallen for the last three consecutive quarters, declining from 527 deaths in the fourth quarter of 2017 to 519 deaths in the first quarter of 2018 to 497 deaths in the second quarter of 2018.
In the first six months of 2018, there were a total of 1,017 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths, compared to 975 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths in the first six months of 2017.
The report shows the changes in drug trends amid the epidemic, now with cocaine surpassing heroin in the toxicology for opioid-related deaths, beginning with the fourth quarter of 2017. A June clinical advisory issued to all medical providers by the DPH warns of the increase of fentanyl in cocaine.
According to the report, while overdose deaths are down, the rate of synthetic fentanyl presence in the toxicology of opioid-related overdose deaths continues to rise, detected in about 40 percent of deaths in 2014 to a staggering nearly 90 percent of cases in the first quarter of 2018.
Overall, opioid-related deaths fell 4 percent from 2016 to 2017. Data collected also shows opioid prescriptions fell 30 percent in the Commonwealth since the launch of the Massachusetts Prescription Monitoring Program in Aug. 2016.
“The opioid epidemic is a tragic public health crisis that has taken scores of lives in our Commonwealth, and while we have much work to do, there continue to be trends related to a decline in overdose deaths and a decline in the number of opioid prescriptions written by physicians,” said Governor Baker. “This quarterly report provides a new level of data revealing an unsettling correlation between high levels of synthetic fentanyl present in toxicology reports and overdose death rates. It is critically important that the Commonwealth understand and study this information so we can better respond to this disease and help more people. The legislation I signed earlier this month adds another set of tools to our toolkit, including requiring all emergency departments to offer medication-assisted treatment in emergency departments and extending medication-assisted treatment in correctional facilities.”
“Our administration is devoted to addressing the opioid epidemic using every tool available, and detailed reports like this are critically important to ongoing and future efforts ranging from treatment to criminal justice,” said Lt. Governor Polito.
Earlier this month, Governor Baker signed into law a bill aimed at helping opioid addicts receive the treatment and support they need, the second major legislative action by the administration to address the opioid crisis since 2015.
Governor Baker also signed legislation to empower law enforcement by holding fentanyl and carfentanil traffickers more accountable.
“When you look at the trend lines over time, while the results of our efforts are having an impact, we must double down on our efforts to implement treatment strategies that meet the needs of the highest risk individuals and communities,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders.
The total estimated and confirmed number of opioid-related deaths in 2017 has been updated to 2,071, 83 fewer deaths than the previous estimate of 2,154 in 2016, showing a decrease of 4 percent.
There was, however, an increase in opioid-related overdose deaths in 2017 for non-Hispanic black males, whose death rates increased from 21.5 per 100,000 in 2016 to 31.2 per 100,000 in 2017.
“The increase in the opioid-related death rate among blacks, but especially black males, is concerning,’’ said Public Health Commission Monica Bharel, MD, MPH. ``We will be targeting our community outreach and public awareness campaigns to these individuals as we remain steadfast in our efforts to reduce the impact of this preventable disease on all Massachusetts families and communities.”
Massachusetts is notorious for it's leading efforts in the nation in addressing the opioid crisis and was the first state in the country to implement a 7-day limit of first-time opioid prescriptions and to launch core guidelines for the safe prescribing of opioids.
Approximately 258,000 people across the state received prescriptions for Schedule II opioids in the second quarter of 2018, more than a 30 percent decrease from the first quarter of 2015, when 390,532 individuals received prescriptions. In the first quarter of 2018, 19 percent of opioid-related overdose deaths had prescription opioids present in toxicology.
You can fine more information on how the Commonwealth has been addressing the opioid epidemic as well as links to the latest data here.
To get help for a substance use disorder, visit the helpline site here or call the Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline at 800-327-5050.
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