HJBR Nov/Dec 2019

42 NOV / DEC 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of BATON ROUGE column SECRETARY’S CORNER There is no denying that the opioid epi- demic is deserving of the department’s at- tention: In 2018, there were more than 450 opioid-involved deaths in Louisiana, a 184 percent increase since 2012. Driving much of the epidemic is the over-prescription of legal opioid painkillers, but heroin and fentanyl are also available for street use, and the strength of fentanyl, often used to treat severe pain in clinical settings, is con- tributing to overdoses. During the opioid summit last month, the Department of Health welcomed 350 attendees, 15 exhibitors, and 15 plenary speakers who attended large panel dis- cussions, and 18 breakout sessions. The summit also offered continuing education credits to providers throughout the state. There was also a town hall style event held as part of the summit, which allowed providers and the community to provide input into how to improve treatment and prevention education across Louisiana. The department’s opioid response plan Overcoming the Human Cost of the Opioid Epidemic The Louisiana Department of Health’s response to the na- tionwide opioid epidemic was the center of attention in Sep- tember, as the department held an Opioid Action Summit in Slidell, and the governor’s office and the department re- leased a statewide opioid re- sponse plan on September 24. identifies five pillars as areas of focus for the department going forward: • Improving data analytics and surveil- lance • Prevention activities centered on wide- spread education and awareness  • Enhancing intervention and rescue techniques, including increasing acces- sibility to life-saving naloxone, which can be administered during an overdose • Increasing the quality of and access to treatment • Providing effective recovery support services. It is important that we realize the human cost of the opioid epidemic. In addition to the 450 lives lost to overdose in 2018, peo- ple affected by those deaths include family, friends, coworkers, and children. Beyond the overdoses, those close to people who are dependent on opioids are also often negatively affected. However, there are ways we can help people get the help they need, and reduce