Delaware News

Overdose Review Commission Releases 2022 Annual Report

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Monday, April 17, 2023


Navy blue background featuring the Delaware state seal in the center

Recommendations include a whole-person approach to substance use disorder treatment and broadened non-opioid options for chronic pain treatment 

The Delaware Drug Overdose Fatality Review Commission (DOFRC) has released its second annual report to Governor John Carney and the General Assembly, announced Attorney General Kathy Jennings. The report examines a sample of 108 cases from fatal overdoses that occurred in 2020, and includes data collected from death certificates, medical records, legal records, and treatment history.   

“We are truly fortunate to have a robust community of support in the war against the opioid crisis in Delaware, but the battle is far from over,” said Kathy Jennings. “Now more than ever, DOFRC’s reports and the recommendations they generate are an essential beacon lighting the path forward.” 

 

Significant findings from the report include: 

 

  • 92.9% of decedents in the sample had fentanyl in their system at the time of death. 
  • 42.0% of decedents in the sample had mental health diagnoses — of those, 83.3% suffered from depression and 48.9% suffered from anxiety. 
  • 30.8% of decedents in the sample had a history of chronic pain — of those, 68% suffered from chronic back pain.  

 

“We have reached a critical point in Delaware where, I believe, the recommendations of this commission must be used to end this public health emergency,” said DOFRC Chair Erin Booker. “My hope is that anyone reading this report will also take a moment to reflect on, and honor the lives lost to substance abuse disorder.” 

 

The report makes two new recommendations: 

 

  1. Incorporate mental health and trauma-centered practices into services addressing substance use disorder (SUD), moving towards a whole-person approach for treatment.  
  2. Broaden non-opioid alternative options for individuals with chronic pain.  

These recommendations are made in addition to the 2021 recommendations which remain relevant: 

  1. Provide safe and secure housing through the empirically-backed Housing First model for unhoused or unstably housed individuals. 
  2. Expand Continuing Education availability for Licensed Clinicians to increase knowledge of Trauma Intervention Services.
  3. Intervene for those whose contact with law enforcement does not result in arrest or incarceration; and initiate substance abuse treatment services immediately following incarceration for inmates awaiting sentencing.
  4. Establish a notification system within the Prescription Monitoring Program to ensure prescribers are aware of patient non-fatal overdose(s). 
  1. Improve outreach and follow-up with individuals who engaged in substance abuse related treatment.

Read the full report here. 

 

The DOFRC was established to examine the facts and circumstances of deaths resulting from prescription opioid, fentanyl, and heroin overdoses and make evidence-based recommendations on to how to prevent future overdose deaths. The Commission is staffed by the Department of Justice and is required to report its findings on at least an annual basis. 

  

 

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Overdose Review Commission Releases 2022 Annual Report

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Monday, April 17, 2023


Navy blue background featuring the Delaware state seal in the center

Recommendations include a whole-person approach to substance use disorder treatment and broadened non-opioid options for chronic pain treatment 

The Delaware Drug Overdose Fatality Review Commission (DOFRC) has released its second annual report to Governor John Carney and the General Assembly, announced Attorney General Kathy Jennings. The report examines a sample of 108 cases from fatal overdoses that occurred in 2020, and includes data collected from death certificates, medical records, legal records, and treatment history.   

“We are truly fortunate to have a robust community of support in the war against the opioid crisis in Delaware, but the battle is far from over,” said Kathy Jennings. “Now more than ever, DOFRC’s reports and the recommendations they generate are an essential beacon lighting the path forward.” 

 

Significant findings from the report include: 

 

  • 92.9% of decedents in the sample had fentanyl in their system at the time of death. 
  • 42.0% of decedents in the sample had mental health diagnoses — of those, 83.3% suffered from depression and 48.9% suffered from anxiety. 
  • 30.8% of decedents in the sample had a history of chronic pain — of those, 68% suffered from chronic back pain.  

 

“We have reached a critical point in Delaware where, I believe, the recommendations of this commission must be used to end this public health emergency,” said DOFRC Chair Erin Booker. “My hope is that anyone reading this report will also take a moment to reflect on, and honor the lives lost to substance abuse disorder.” 

 

The report makes two new recommendations: 

 

  1. Incorporate mental health and trauma-centered practices into services addressing substance use disorder (SUD), moving towards a whole-person approach for treatment.  
  2. Broaden non-opioid alternative options for individuals with chronic pain.  

These recommendations are made in addition to the 2021 recommendations which remain relevant: 

  1. Provide safe and secure housing through the empirically-backed Housing First model for unhoused or unstably housed individuals. 
  2. Expand Continuing Education availability for Licensed Clinicians to increase knowledge of Trauma Intervention Services.
  3. Intervene for those whose contact with law enforcement does not result in arrest or incarceration; and initiate substance abuse treatment services immediately following incarceration for inmates awaiting sentencing.
  4. Establish a notification system within the Prescription Monitoring Program to ensure prescribers are aware of patient non-fatal overdose(s). 
  1. Improve outreach and follow-up with individuals who engaged in substance abuse related treatment.

Read the full report here. 

 

The DOFRC was established to examine the facts and circumstances of deaths resulting from prescription opioid, fentanyl, and heroin overdoses and make evidence-based recommendations on to how to prevent future overdose deaths. The Commission is staffed by the Department of Justice and is required to report its findings on at least an annual basis. 

  

 

image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.