The opioid epidemic has been evident for the past two decades—from prescription opioids to heroin, to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
However, abuse from prescription opioids started this trend, and Florida was at the forefront during the most dangerous times of the opioid crisis.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t just Florida, but the whole country was battling prescription opioid abuse. How did this happen? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA):
“In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers, and healthcare providers began to prescribe them at greater rates. This subsequently led to widespread diversion and misuse of these medications before it became clear that these medications could indeed be highly addictive. Opioid overdose rates began to increase. In 2017, more than 47,000 Americans died as a result of an opioid overdose, including prescription opioids, heroin, and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. That same year, an estimated 1.7 million people in the United States suffered from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers, and 652,000 suffered from a heroin use disorder (not mutually exclusive).”
This article is to inform you of Florida’s history of overprescribing opioids, and what Florida did to fight this issue. Also, how to get help for prescription opioid abuse in Florida.
Florida’s Fight Against the Abuse of Prescription Opioids
In the early 2000s, Florida had “pill mills,” which exacerbated the abuse of opioid drugs.
According to the U.S. Library of Medicine:
“From 2003 to 2010, Florida experienced a proliferation of “pill mills,” a category that includes physicians, pain clinics, and other providers that dispense large quantities of prescription drugs, typically for cash only, outside the scope of standard medical practice. These pill mills initially operated with limited state oversight. By 2010, 90 of the 100 doctors purchasing the most oxycodone nationwide were practicing in Florida. Accompanying increases in pill mills and opioid prescribing was a rapid rise in mortality from prescription opioid overdoses in Florida.”
So, what did Florida do? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
“In Florida, where multiple interventions targeted excessive opioid prescribing from 2010-2012, (e.g., pain clinic regulation and mandated PDMP reporting of dispensed prescriptions), amounts of opioids prescribed decreased in 80% of counties from 2010 to 2015. During this time period, Florida also experienced reductions in prescription opioid-related overdose deaths.
- 2010 Action: Regulated pain clinics and stopped health care providers from dispensing prescription opioid pain relievers from their offices, in combination with establishing a PDMP.
- 2012 Result: Saw more than 50% decrease in oxycodone overdose deaths.
- These changes might represent the first documented substantial decline in drug overdose mortality in any state during the previous ten years.”
Source: CDC
The graph above shows as soon as Florida implemented its new laws, which included a prescription monitoring program, resulted in a positive effect immediately. This led to a reduction in deaths caused by opioid prescription abuse.
According to NIDA in 2017, the prescription rate in Florida was 60.9 per 100 persons, which is a significant reduction from 87.6 per 100 persons in 2010.
Florida was amongst states that had a drastic decrease in overprescribing opioids, seen below.
Source: CDC
How to Get Help for Prescription Opioid Abuse in Florida
Looking at Florida’s history of overprescribing makes you wonder, how did it get so bad? Luckily, a solution was given, which is still effective today. However, it is still not enough, as those suffering from opioid addiction turn to other deadly alternates such as heroin and fentanyl. According to NIDA, “About 80 percent of people who use heroin first misused prescription opioids.”
If you or someone you know is suffering from prescription opioid abuse or any other substance abuse, seek professional help now.
Contact On Call Treatment FL, a South Florida drug rehab—available 24 Hours, 7 days a week, call us NOW 1-(855)-492-1515.