 There has been a decrease in emergency department visits during the pandemic, but nonfatal opioid overdose visits have more than doubled, and few of these patients had received a prescription for naloxone. In a study by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the authors found that individuals on Medicare and commercial insurance may experience decreased access to naloxone due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To fill this gap in naloxone distribution through pharmacies, the authors suggest continuing to increase naloxone distribution in densely populated areas and via mail order and delivery through community-based organizations. This should help to reduce some of the increases in fatal opioid overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Despite an intensifying overdose crisis and widespread support, two of the three Scott County Commissioners voted on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 to close the local Syringe Service Program (SSP) on January 1, 2022. This decision was reached after a well-attended press conference and town hall on May 18 to share facts about the program’s success and how it keeps people healthy and saves lives in the community. Members of the local coalition, Get Healthy Scott County, spoke for more than two hours in support of the program and the only opposing views were those of the county commissioners. Get Healthy Scott County includes community members and people benefitting from the SSP, such as doctors, first responders, state and local public health officials, and pastors. Without an SSP in Scott County, a recent Brown University study projected a dramatic surge in new HIV cases. The coalition will continue to fight for the SSP over the next six months, as well as other evidence-based solutions to stop the spread of disease and save lives in their community.
 Health experts expected the pandemic to exacerbate addiction and substance abuse in the United States, but a recent study found that Black and Latino communities were more vulnerable to these disorders. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, examined data from emergency medical service calls and compared overdose deaths in 2020 with deaths in prior years. They found overdose deaths seen by EMS workers increased by 42% in the United States in 2020 compared to 2018-2019, according to the study published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Psychiatry. The largest spikes were seen among Blacks and Latinos, with 50.3% and 49.7% increases in overdose deaths during the pandemic, respectively.
The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) is interested in hearing from its partners about their experiences and needs with drug overdose and/or substance use data. The responses for this survey will be used to improve how IDOH disseminates data to its stakeholders. Please share this survey with any colleagues you believe can also provide valuable feedback. Any questions can be directed to Sydney Whiteford at swhiteford@isdh.in.gov. Thank you!
Survey link: https://redcap.isdh.in.gov/surveys/?s=M9CEM4H7EH
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