#EMconf: DEA and the Opioid Epidemic

Thu, 08/03/2017 - 6:54am
Author: 
Kara Huston, MD

 Battling the Opioid Epidemic

  •  The perfect storm contributing to the opioid epidemic: 
    1. Pain revolution (eg pain assessment tool) 
    2. Pharmaceutical marketing (1996: $45 million in sales by 2010 $3.1 billion in profit alone) 
    3. Mexican trafficking (control 80% of drugs entering the United States)

 

  • Background statistics:
    1. In 2015 144 people died per day in the United States from drug overdoses, 63% from opioids
    2. NJ overdose death rate is nearly triple the US heroin overdose death rate
    3. 4/5 of those with opioid addiction start with prescription
    4. In 2016 Naloxone was administered at least 30 times per day in NJ alone
    5. Fentanyl is 50-100 x more potent than Morphine
    6. There has been an exponential increase in Fentanyl being added to other drugs, including but not limited to heroin

 

  • DEA 360 strategy:
    1. Operation prevention: DEA and Discovery Education STEM-based initiatives
    2. Free online curriculum to educate middle and high school students
    3. Methods of disposing unused opioids: The American Medicine Chest Challenge, Project Medicine Drop, DEA National Take Back Initiative