Texas receives $2.6 million in response to opioid epidemic

Nov. 06--Drug deaths in Texas and nationwide have been increasing, with nearly half of all drug deaths in Texas are attributed to opioids.

In 2017, Johnson County had 13 deaths that were determined to be caused by an overdose from opioids, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner.

Johnson County Stop the Offender Special Crimes Unit Commander Larry Sparks said opioid use, manufacturing and distributing is a growing problem in Johnson County.

"The No. 1 opioid problem in Johnson County is hands down the same as it is across the entire United States of America -- prescription drugs such as oxycodone (Oxycontin), hydrocodone, methadone, morphine, buprenorphine, Percocet and Vicodin," he said. "Prescription pills are the largest group of opioids, but just the beginning. Other opioids like heroin, codeine and, most recently, fentanyl and even Carfentanil are running rampant in Johnson County."

To address the opioid overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has granted $2.66 million to the Texas Department of State Health Services to help local health departments and health care providers prevent overdose deaths, enhance the available data on opioid use in Texas and expand the prescriber network for medication-assisted treatment.

"This epidemic is the public health crisis of our time -- and we are losing far too many Americans each day from opioid overdoses," CDC Director Robert R. Redfield said. "These funds will provide critically needed resources to those on the front lines of the fight against the opioid overdose epidemic."

The funds will improve DSHS' ability to track opioid-related illnesses and other conditions being seen in emergency rooms around Texas.

It will also provide researchers and the public with more information on opioid use and its consequences via the DSHS Texas Health Data website, allowing access to more data more quickly down to county and ZIP code levels.

"Having more information on where opioids are being used and their effects on communities will let state agencies and our partners in cities and counties focus their efforts where the needs are most pressing," DSHS Commissioner John Hellerstedt said. "Using data to better understand and respond to the opioid crisis will ensure that resources provide the most benefit for the people of Texas."

Additional funds will be used by DSHS to train public health personnel at the community level on when and how to properly administer naloxone, a drug that can help prevent someone from dying from an opioid overdose, so they can then train first responders and others in their communities.

The grant will also increase the number of doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners permitted to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication to treat opioid use in an office setting.

Sparks said he hopes the grant will help agencies be able to better monitor and identify when and where opioids are being distributed from.

"Hopefully this will include a better system so physicians can identify the patients who are doctor shopping," he said. "Doctor shopping is a common practice from not only addicts, but drug dealers as well. Individuals will fake an injury or even actually injure themselves and go from doctor to doctor, emergency room to emergency room, gathering as many prescriptions as possible and having them filled at different pharmacies before being detected.

"There are so many facets to how addicts and dealers obtain the opiates, but any assistance is greatly appreciated by law enforcement. I truly believe that the opiate epidemic is hands down the No. 1 drug-related problem in not only Johnson County, Texas, but all of America, along with being the hardest to combat."

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