Public health and prescription drug overdose prevention, monitoring, enforcement and treatment

In 2006, the estimated total cost of nonmedical use of prescription opioids was $53.4 billion and, exacerbating the problem, drug overdose death rates in the United States have more than tripled since 1990. Research indicates that poisoning surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of injury death in the United States in 2008. In the past three decades, the percentage of poisoning deaths caused by drugs increased from about 60% to about 90%. While the majority of these deaths were unintentional, opioid analgesics were involved more frequently than other specified drugs, including heroin and cocaine, representing a critical opportunity for federal and state agencies, together with a broad network of partners, to identify and employ strategies focused on preventing the inappropriate use and diversion of prescription drugs.

Working with five states, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) developed a state learning community model to address prescription drug overdose misuse, abuse and diversion. The model addresses prevention, monitoring, enforcement, treatment and recovery as issues that states should act upon comprehensively rather than in silos. Working with state public health agencies and partners across all sectors utilize the ASTHO state health policy and practice recommendations matrix to develop and implement a comprehensive action plan. Collaborating with state partners, Oklahoma built upon a state task force to develop a comprehensive state plan and collaborate more effectively with enforcement and monitoring systems in the state.