Commentary: Can Oklahoma Eliminate Overdose Deaths?
While there's been progress in lowering the death rate from prescription opioids in Oklahoma, the number of opioid prescriptions written in the state outpaces the national average.
Oklahoma has been making progress in fighting the opioid epidemic. But there's still a lot of work to be done.
While the death rate from prescription opioids is on the decline here, the number of opioid prescriptions written in the state continues to vastly outpace the national average. Also, deaths from heroin overdoses have been climbing — up by more than 50 percent between 2015 and 2016 — and that could be a byproduct of stricter state regulations that aim to curb opioid prescribing.
So in late February, I was one of about 60 convened the meeting at the Tatanka Ranch in Stroud.
