{"id":4513,"date":"2023-08-02T15:51:15","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T15:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/?page_id=4513"},"modified":"2025-02-07T12:31:20","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T12:31:20","slug":"florida-lowering-opioid-epidemic-numbers","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/drugs\/florida-lowering-opioid-epidemic-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida May Be Lowering Opioid Epidemic Numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Some states, including Florida, are starting to see progress in their efforts to reduce opioid epidemic death rates.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the United States in 2017, there were more than 70,200 drug overdose deaths<\/a>. That made for an age-adjusted rate of 21.7 deaths per 100,000 people. Among these deaths, 47,600 involved opioids<\/a>, with the sharpest increases in deaths stemming from the use of fentanyl<\/a> and other synthetic opioids. In Florida, in 2017, the rate of drug overdose deaths went up nearly six percent from 2016. The rate of deaths in Florida was higher than the national average at 25.1 per 100,000. Florida health care providers wrote 60.9 opioid prescriptions for every 100 people in 2017 as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, there may be a turning of the tide in Florida\u2019s battle against the opioid epidemic. The interim report from the Medical Examiner\u2019s Commission in Florida<\/a> showed that during the first half of 2018, drug-related deaths in the state were down five percent. Opioid-related deaths were down 13% from 2017. While there was good news from the report, there were some mixed elements as well. For example, deaths related to fentanyl appeared to be up 64%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been moves at the state and national level to curb overdose deaths<\/a> and in particular, deaths stemming from the effects of the opioid epidemic. President Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency in 2017, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently announced the creation of the Task Force on Opioid Drug Abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Florida\u2019s Approach to Addiction Numbers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There have been different ways Florida is approaching the opioid epidemic<\/a>. For example, before Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi left office, she charged CBS and Walgreens with racketeering and distributing what was described as an unreasonable amount of opioids from their pharmacies. Bondi added these companies to Florida\u2019s lawsuit against many of the makers and sellers of pain medicines. The lawsuit against opioid companies alleges they have made \u201cunconscionable efforts<\/a>\u201d to increase the supply and demands of opioids in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Florida state lawsuit makes the assertion drug companies misled doctors to get them to overprescribe opioids. It also alleges pharmacies knowingly dispense more opioids than what was needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was the creation of something called the \u201cOpioid Working Group<\/a>\u201d or OWG in Florida, as well. The OWG developed an overview of the current programs in Florida that help combat the opioid epidemic and opioid addiction in the state and then provide recommendations to do more. The OWG created recommendations in three different categories, which were prevention and education, enforcement, and treatment and recovery. Some of the specific recommendations made by the OWG include:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n