Synthetic Opioid Data

The death rate of synthetic opioids other than methadone, which includes drugs such as tramadol and fentanyl, increased by 72.2% from 2014 to 2015.¹ Synthetic opioid death rates (other than methadone) increased across all demographics, regions, and numerous states. Recent state reports have indicated that increases in synthetic opioid-involved deaths have been associated with the number of drug products obtained by law enforcement testing positive for fentanyl but not fentanyl prescribing rates. These reports indicate that increases in synthetic opioid-involved deaths are being driven by increases in fentanyl-involved overdose deaths, which are likely due to illicitly-manufactured fentanyl.^2,3

Age-adjusted death rates for synthetic opioids, excluding methadone but including fentanyl and tramadol, are displayed above by census region for 2014 to 2015. Rates increased in all regions—107.4% in the Northeast, 95% in the Midwest, 55.6% in the South, and 12.5% in the West.¹ The synthetic opioid overdose death rate also increased in the United States overall—a statistically significant 72.2% increase from 2014 to 2015, with a total of 9,580 deaths in 2015.¹ Deaths were classified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD–10). Drug overdose deaths are identified using underlying cause-of-death codes X40–X44, X60–X64, X85, and Y10–Y14. Drug overdose deaths were defined as having synthetic opioids excluding methadone (T40.4) as contributing causes. Age-adjusted death rates were calculated using the direct method and the 2000 standard population.¹