PUBLIC HEALTH
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO Solve Louisville ’ s Opioid Crisis
Sarah Moyer , MD , MPH
The opioid crisis continues to devastate the lives of people in Louisville , across the state of Kentucky and throughout many sections of the country . Data from the Jefferson County coroner indicate that 285 individuals died from a drug overdose in 2016 . In fact , according to vital statistics data , overdose deaths in Louisville have risen each year for the past five years .
Louisville ’ s opioid epidemic is a multi-faceted problem that will require engagement from all segments of the community to reverse and solve . The Department of Public Health and Wellness is convening an interdisciplinary workgroup of representatives from the private and public sectors to forge a strategic plan to deal with this community crisis . We appreciate the medical community joining us in this effort .
In July 2016 , Public Health and Wellness created the Office of Addiction Services to begin to respond to the opioid epidemic . The office seeks to coordinate community resources to offer public health solutions .
One initiative of the Office of Addiction Services is a treatment advisory group whose members are representatives of area agencies that currently offer drug treatment . The purpose of the group is to get past the silo approach to drug treatment , and instead to seek a unified approach to grant opportunities , and seek out and implement best practices from around the country . Participants include providers from Centerstone Kentucky , Volunteers of America , Our Lady of Peace , the Morton Center , Greater Louisville Counseling Center , the Beacon House and the University of Louisville .
The treatment advisory group is also looking to create a single point of access to drug treatment . The group has been working with the Metro United Way 211 Call Center as a possible point of access . This will involve creating an enhanced database of all treatment centers and related resources throughout the community so that when someone seeks treatment , they have the full range of options to choose from .
The city budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 includes additional funding for the Office of Addiction Services . Plans call for an outreach team to engage physicians and others at emergency rooms and hospitals to refer overdose patients to treatment .
Drug overdoses are a big issue for all emergency services . In February 2017 , Louisville EMS made 869 overdose runs . The same month there were 118 drug overdoses in one 72-hour period . New funding will allow Louisville to implement a new Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program ( ODMAP ) that has helped other cities ( Baltimore for one ) that suffer with high drug use and high overdose numbers . This program provides real-time surveillance of known and suspected overdose events . The system will provide early warning of possible spikes in drug overdose events and allow first responders and city officials to prepare accordingly .
First responders at drug overdose events including Emergency Medical Service and police will input data on the location and time . The first responder will also record whether the overdose was fatal or nonfatal , and the number of doses of naloxone administered . The responder inputs this data using a smartphone or mobile dispatch terminal while still on the scene . It ’ s then fed into a central database which generates a map , thus capturing the locations of overdose events reported .
6 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE