PRESCRIPTION ABUSE PREVENTION
Know Your Dose
Rx Drug Issue in Montana
“…there is mounting evidence that patients on chronic opiates usually have a poorer quality of life and life expectancy, when compared to those treated by other means.” – Dr. Marc Mentel, D.O., Associate Program Director for Osteopathic Curriculum at the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana and MMA Prescription Drug Abuse Reduction Faculty.
The Substance Use Disorder & Prescription drug Diversion Issues
Substance Use Disorder and Prescription Drug Diversion issues are a growing epidemic – it affects everyone, and the statistics are staggering. Montana’s Substance Use Disorder rate declined as it relates to the national trend however the consequences impact our families and friends, the communities we live in, and our workplaces. The Montana Medical Association and our partners are committed to providing resources and education to help fight this epidemic in our state.
- According to the CDC approximately 68.7 million Americans, (27.8%), suffer from chronic pain or high-impact chronic pain.
- Between 1998 and 2008, there was a 400 percent increase in substance abuse treatment admissions for opioid prescription pain relievers http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm220112.htm
- In 2021, there were 80,411 opioid-related overdose deaths in the United States. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates
- Across the country, 220 people died each day from an opioid overdose in 2021 https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/rxrate-maps/index.html
Sobering news: As of 2018, 92% of Montanans with a Substance use Disorder are not receiving treatment : (graphic courtesy of Montana DPHHS SUD Taskforce)
Prescription Drug Abuse in Montana
- Prescription drug abuse contributed to the death of more than 300 Montanans from 2011-2013, making prescription drug abuse 15 times more deadly than meth, heroine and cocaine combined
- Montana opioid overdose deaths increased from 2.7 to 7.3 per 100,000 between 2017-2018 and 2019-2020 (MT DPHHS)
- Non-fatal emergency department visits increased in Montana from 22.1 to 24.3 per 100,000 between 2018 and 2020 (MT DPHHS)
- Montana kids report the third-highest rate of prescription drug abuse in the country, while 70% of abusers get their drugs from family members.
- Almost one in 10 — 9.6 percent — of Montana teens aged 12 to 17 have reported abusing prescription pain relievers. That is the third-highest rate for teens in the country. 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
- More than 18 percent of Montana’s middle school and high school students report abusing prescription drugs like Vicodin and OxyContin. By the time they reach the twelfth-grade, almost 23 percent have abused these drugs. 2011 Montana Youth Risk Behavior Survey
- Nearly 78 percent of kids have had conversations with their parents about the dangers of using beer and marijuana. Only 24 percent have had those conversations about prescription drugs. 2008 Partnership Attitude Tracking Survey: Teens
- The rate of Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in Montana newborns increased from 0.8 per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 9.0 per 1,000 (95% confidence interval 7.3% – 10.9%) in 2013, a tenfold increase according to the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in Montana Newborns 2000-2013.
Sobering news: Most abusers of prescription drugs get their drugs from friends and relatives – and they get them for free. Take a look: (graphic courtesy of Montana Department of Justice)
Montana 2023 911 responses
Views & Opinions
Articles
New AMA report details grim realities of worsening overdose epidemic
CHICAGO — The 2023 Overdose Epidemic Report (PDF), released today by the American Medical Association (AMA), finds opioid prescribing by physicians and other health professionals decreased for the 13th consecutive year, down nearly 50% since 2012, while [...]
Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic: Balancing Societal and Individual Benefits and Risks of Prescription Opioid Use
"The committee recommends that states, with assistance from relevant federal agencies, particularly the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, provide universal access to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), including use of medication, [...]
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