Resources

Federal money to fight the opioid crisis nearly doubled in the last two years, according to a national think tank’s new report analyzing that funding.

To address the growing misuse and diversion of prescription drugs, the Ohio General Assembly adopted legislation in 2004 authorizing the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy to create a Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP), known as the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS). Established in 2006, OARRS collects information on all outpatient prescriptions for controlled substances and two non-controlled substances (gabapentin and naltrexone) dispensed by Ohiolicensed pharmacies and personally furnished by Ohio prescribers. This data is reported every 24 hours and is maintained in a secure database. Drug wholesalers and manufacturers are also required to submit information monthly on all controlled substances and gabapentin sold to an Ohio licensed pharmacy or prescriber.

Set in Appalachian Ohio amid an epidemic of prescription opiate abuse, Michael Henson’s linked collection tells of a woman’s search for her own peculiar kind of redemption, and brings the novel-in-stories form to new heights. Maggie Boylan is an addict, thief, liar, and hustler. But she is also a woman of deep compassion and resilience. The stories follow Maggie as she spirals through her addictive process, through the court system and treatment, and into a shaky new beginning. Michael Henson is also a contributor to our collection of stories "Not Far From Me: Stories of Opioids & Ohio."

The following items are recommendations from the Governor's Cabinet Opiate Action Team of information that should be included to meet the health instruction requirement focused on “Prescription opioid abuse prevention, with an emphasis on the prescription drug epidemic and the connection between prescription opioid abuse and addiction to other drugs, such as heroin.”

Ohio is one of the states with the highest opioid related deaths, with over 3,600 deaths in 2016 (National Institute on Drug Abuse). While drug addiction certainly affects the health of the user, opioid abuse can also have harmful impacts on families and communities.

As a fire chief and first responder, Jan Rader has spent her career saving lives. But when the opioid epidemic hit her town, she realized they needed to take a brand-new approach to life-saving. In this powerful, hopeful talk, Rader shows what it's like on the front lines of this crisis -- and how her community is taking an unusual new approach to treating substance-abuse disorder that starts with listening.