Opioid Overdoses Fall by 2% from 2017 to 2018, CDC Reports

July 18, 2019 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics released its provisional report on drug overdose deaths, showing opioid overdoses declined by two percent from 2017 to 2018.

The data also showed that national drug overdoses dropped by five percent during the period.

“The latest provisional data on overdose deaths show that America’s united efforts to curb opioid use disorder and addiction are working,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in an official statement. “Lives are being saved, and we’re beginning to win the fight against this crisis. Under President Trump’s leadership, and thanks to efforts on the ground by communities across America, the number of patients receiving medication assisted treatment has risen, distribution of overdose-reversing drugs is up, and nationwide opioid prescriptions are down.”

According to the data, 212,112 individuals died of an overdose at the end of 2017 and 204,109 died of the same cause by the end of 2018.

The two highest causes of drug overdose deaths continued to be opioids and synthetic opioids. Natural and semi-synthetic opioids dropped below cocaine and psychostimulants. Methadone continues to hover at around 3,000 lives lost, lower than the other drugs calculated.

Missouri and Delaware saw the highest increase in deaths—each rising by over 16 percent during the period. Alaska, Ohio, and South Dakota saw the largest decrease, dropping by 26.1 percent, 25 percent, and 22.4 percent, respectively.

Although the CDC report indicates that recent efforts and regulations are starting to make an impact, Secretary Azar made clear that HHS and the nation should not become overly optimistic.

“While the declining trend of overdose deaths is an encouraging sign, by no means have we declared victory against the epidemic or addiction in general,” Secretary Azar warned. “This crisis developed over two decades and it will not be solved overnight. We also face other emerging threats, like concerning trends in cocaine and methamphetamine overdoses. President Trump and HHS will continue to provide the resources and support communities, families, and individuals in our collective efforts to prevent and treat addiction.”

Even as the nation receives this update on its current status in the epidemic, the past is also becoming clearer.

According to an NPR report this week, an Ohio federal court ordered the release of data from 2006 to 2012 from ARCOS, a database of transaction-by-transaction opioid pill distribution information.

The data, available through a Wall Street Journal subscription, charts around 380 million opioid sales, resulting in 76 billion oxycodone and hydrocodone pills being distributed across the nation in seven years.

The numbers show pill distribution intensifying in areas of northern California and southern Utah, mid-Alabama, southwest Virginia, southern West Virginia, and eastern Kentucky. The latter two states have continued top opioid overdose death lists.

The database also records the pharmaceutical companies’ distribution of pills across the US during that seven year period. McKesson Corporation, sitting at the top of the industry with 18.4 percent of the market, distributed 14 billion pills. Walgreens came in second with 16.5 percent of the industry and 13 billion pills distributed, followed by Cardinal Health with 14 percent of the market and 11 billion pills.

The manufacturers’ output was also measured in the data. SpecGx manufactured 29 billion pills, representing 37.7 percent of the market. Actavis Pharma put out 24 billion and Par Pharmaceutical made 12 billion. These sat far above their competitors, which manufactured 2.5 billion or less per company.

In the Ohio court case, this influx of data is a step toward victory for the 1,200 local governments in Ohio, which are trying to take down the 23 top drug manufacturers and distributors. Previous attempts to release information such as the ARCOS data have been strongly opposed by pharmacies and the US Drug Enforcement Administration, who argued the data contained sensitive trade and law enforcement details.

The local governments believe that this data will help define the impact of pharmaceutical production and distribution levels and will help trace the epidemic back to these companies.

These reports serve as fresh reminders that detailed data—from social determinants to transactional records—are a key tool for payers, Medicaid, local governments, and associations in defeating the opioid epidemic.

“Findings from data can be instrumental in creating an intervention policy that seeks to better inform health care practitioners of potential risk factors and warning signs of opioid abuse, thereby enabling targeted prevention efforts of individuals deemed to be at greatest risk,” America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) stated.