Oregon’s Opioid Prescribing Guidelines Task Force recently approved the adoption of state-specific opioid prescribing guidelines in order to curb the rate of opioid overdoses in Oregon.
Dr. Katrina Hedberg, MPH, state health officer and state epidemiologist at the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) called opioid overdoses a “major public health problem,” and said the guidelines provide the state with a path toward decreasing overdoses.
Task Force members met this year from April through November to decide whether adopting the opioid prescription guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were a good fit for Oregon. The Task Force also included an addendum of Oregon-specific recommendations.
According to the OHA, an average of three Oregonians die every week from an overdose related to prescription opioids. A 2015 report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust For America’s Health stated that drug overdoses were the leading cause of injury death in the state, surpassing… (continue reading)
Author: Justin Kravcik
Justin Kravcik is a reporter for Addiction Now who covers breaking news. He previously worked as a reporter for Orange County Culture Magazine, where he covered human interest stories across Orange County. He also worked as a marketing copywriter for a Newport Beach-based law firm, where he wrote articles on current events and education. Contact Justin at justink@drugaddictionnow.com.
