Opioid prescriptions in Connecticut continued to fall in 2018, decreasing by about 9.3 percent compared to a year earlier, according to state officials.
The state Department of Consumer Protection’s (DCP) Drug Control Division on Thursday afternoon reported there were over 1.9 million opioid prescriptions given out last year, or 200,971 fewer than prescribed a year prior.
The latest data from DCP show opioid prescriptions in the state have plummeted 25.2 percent from 2015 to 2018, which appears to align with national trends, according to a report by the American Medical Society (AMA) Opioid Task Force.
“We know that these prescription decreases are only one indicator that we’re making progress in combating the opioid crisis, but we’re pleased that the state is moving forward,” said DCP Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull.
Although Connecticut has been graded highly for its efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, the National Institute of Drug Abuse said the state in 2017 still recorded 955 overdose deaths involving opioids, a rate of 27.7 deaths per 100,000 residents, which was almost double the national rate that year.
In a move to reduce opioid deaths, the state on Monday announced it has launched a new website and awareness campaign to inform residents about opioid misuse and about treatment services. The state last week also said it’s set to receive another federal grant worth $5.8 million to combat the opioid epidemic.
Also Thursday, DCP said prescriptions for benzodiazepine, or “benzos,” which is a drug commonly used for treating seizures, anxiety and panic disorders, also decreased about 5.2 percent, or 85,118 prescriptions. That’s a roughly 8.1 percent prescription decrease since 2015.
