Opioid Overdose Surveillance and Prevention in San Diego County

 

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NALOXONE ACCESS

Locations that distribute naloxone in San Diego. Naloxone is a medication that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.

 

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COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Syringe Service Programs, responding to an overdose, fentanyl test strips, and other local resources.

 

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PROVIDER RESOURCES

Continuing education courses, Overdose Data to Action Quarterly Newsletter, CURES 2.0, handouts, and CDC Opioid Guidelines Mobile App, and opioid prescribing resources.

 

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DATA AND REPORTS

Reports on drug-related initial encounters at emergency departments, opioid prescribing trends, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) trends.

 

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Introduction

The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency departments, which include Public Health Services, Behavioral Health Services, and Medical Care Services, are committed to encouraging healthy behaviors, which also includes the prevention of substance use and abuse. The County aim is to increase awareness and protect individuals and communities affected by opioid overdose. Through innovative surveillance and evidence-based prevention, the County is motivated to reduce opioid use disorder, increase treatment resources, and reduce emergency department visits and deaths from opioid overdoses.

The opioid epidemic affects all San Diegans. Collective efforts to reduce overdose incidents will help to keep all San Diegans healthy.

For more information on opioid overdose prevention, please email us at PHS.OD2A@sdcounty.ca.gov.

 

Overdose Data to Action Grant Information

Opioid overdose deaths in San Diego County have been increasing since 1999. According to the California Overdose Dashboard, in 2020, there were 528 deaths related to any opioid overdose in San Diego County,1 which is approximately 115% increase from 2016. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “synthetic opioid-involved death rates increased by over 56% from 2019 to 2020 and accounted for over 82% of all opioid-involved deaths in 2020.”2

 

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The Public Health Services department, in the County of San Diego (the County) Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA), is one of the recipients of the Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) grant awarded by the Centers of Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). The County HHSA was awarded funding to focus on these surveillance and prevention strategies:

Prevention Strategies 

  • Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) – Strategy 4
    • Better utilize prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) data to inform prescribing practices.
  • State and Local Integration – Strategy 5
    • Improve state and local prevention efforts to build more effective and sustainable surveillance and implement community-level interventions.
  • Linkage to Care – Strategy 6
    • Ensure people are connected to the care they need. 
  • Provider and Health System Support – Strategy 7
    • Support healthcare providers and health systems with drug overdose prevention and response. 

To learn more about the Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) Grant sponsored by the CDC, please visit the CDC's Overdose Data to Action website.

 

1 California Department of Public Health. July 19, 2022. San Diego County Overdose Surveillance Dashboard. https://skylab.cdph.ca.gov/ODdash/?tab=CTY
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). June 6, 2022. Synthetic Opioid Overdose Data https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/deaths/synthetic/index.html

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