Easy access to over-the-counter medications may play a role in their use for suspected suicides
Yet, study shows buprenorphine is effective in protecting against overdose in this population
However, growth in overdose deaths has slowed compared with the 30 percent increase seen in 2020
Counterfeit pills contain the synthetic opioid fentanyl and are fueling increases in overdoses and hospitalizations
A shift in the age distribution of opioid-related mortality has occurred with the highest rates now observed in younger individuals
Many patients filling buprenorphine prescriptions written by emergency physicians do not subsequently fill prescriptions for the treatment
Proportion of overdose deaths involving these drugs increased more than threefold between 2000 and 2018
From 2007 to 2019, opioid-stimulant deaths among Black people increased at more than three times the rate of White people
Safe injection sites give users a monitored space for injected drug use
Overall, intentional overdose deaths declined in recent years among men and women; rates higher among non-Hispanic Black women