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34 SPOTLIGHT ON OPIOID EPIDEMIC CDC Director Says 'Urgent Action is Needed': 13 Data Points on the Opioid Epidemic By Kelly Gooch N ew data from the CDC show drug overdose deaths, including opioid overdose deaths, continue to rise. Here are 13 data points from the CDC, re- leased in December. 1. In 2015, more than 52,000 people died from a drug overdose; of those, 33,091 (63.1 percent) involved a prescription or illicit opi- oid. 2. Since 2000, more than 300,000 Americans have died from an opioid overdose. 3. e CDC said its new data suggest the in- crease in opioid overdose death rates is driven in large part by illicit opioids, such as heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, a synthet- ic opioid. 4. From 2014 to 2015, death rates for synthet- ic opioids other than methadone (including drugs such as tramadol and fentanyl, referred to as synthetic opioids) increased 72.2 per- cent. 5. During that same time period, heroin death rates increased 20.6 percent, and syn- thetic opioid and heroin death rates increased across all age groups 15 and older, in both sexes and among all races/ethnicities, accord- ing to the data. For 2015, heroin overdose deaths narrowly surpassed gun homicides as the more prolific killer. 6. Also from 2014 to 2015, methadone death rates declined 9.1 percent. 7. Natural opioids (including morphine and codeine) and semi-synthetic opioids (includ- ing commonly prescribed pain medications such as oxycodone and hydrocodone) were involved in more than 12,700 deaths in 2015. 8. During 2014 to 2015, New Mexico, Okla- homa and Virginia had decreases in rates of death involving natural and semi-synthetic opioids. 9. During 2010 to 2015, the rate of drug over- dose deaths in the U.S. increased in 30 states and Washington, D.C., remained stable in 19 states and showed decreasing trends followed by increases in two states. 10. Sixteen states had increases in synthetic opioid death rates from 2014 to 2015. e greatest percent increases in death rates were in New York (135.7 percent), Connecticut (125.9 percent) and Illinois (120 percent). 11. In contrast, when assessing for total num- ber of new lives lost, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island and West Virginia had the largest rate increases of syn- thetic opioid deaths from 2014 to 2015. 12. Eleven states had increases in heroin death rates from 2014 to 2015, with the great- est percent increases in death rates in South Carolina (57.1 percent), North Carolina (46.4 percent), and Tennessee (43.5 percent). 13. In contrast, when assessing the loss of life pertaining to heroin by absolute rate chang- es, or the total number of new lives lost, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio and West Virginia saw the largest increases of heroin deaths from 2014 to 2015. "Too many Americans are feeling the dev- astation of the opioid crisis either from misuse of prescription opioids or use of il- licit opioids," CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, said in a prepared statement. "Urgent action is needed to help healthcare provid- ers treat pain safely and treat opioid use dis- order effectively, support law enforcement strategies to reduce the availability of illicit opiates and support states to develop and implement programs that can save lives." n Survey: 5 Findings on Opioid Prescription Behaviors in 2016 By Anuja Vaidya A little over 50 percent of physicians from all spe- cialties have reduced the amount of opioids they prescribe, according to a nationwide, online poll, conducted by Sermo for The Boston Globe. The survey was conducted from Dec. 15 through Dec. 22. It includes responses from 3,000 U.S. physicians. Here are five findings: 1. A little under 10 percent of physicians have stopped pre- scribing opioids altogether. 2. Forty percent of those polled have not changed their opi- oid prescribing patterns. 3. Among those who had reduced or stopped prescribing opioids, 34 percent cited "too many hassles and risks" as the main reason. 4. Improved understanding of opioid-related risks (29 per- cent) and concern about getting in trouble with licensing boards or regulators (16 percent) were also cited as reasons for changing opioid prescribing behaviors. 5. Around 36 percent of physicians believe that chronic pain patients have been hurt by the reduction in opioid prescrip- tions, whereas 64 percent believe this change has helped patients. n