Pennsylvania's Community Coordination Strategy to Reduce Opioid Overdose Deaths.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The opioid crisis remains a significant public health challenge, necessitating effective community-level interventions.
• The Pennsylvania Opioid Overdose Reduction Technical Assistance Center (ORTAC) was established to provide targeted support for reducing opioid-related overdose deaths (ODD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the initial impact of ORTAC engagement on county-level opioid overdose death (ODD) rates in Pennsylvania.
• To assess the effectiveness of coalition building and technical assistance in mitigating ODD.

Main Methods:

• Utilized quasi-experimental difference-in-difference models comparing ODD rates per 100,000 population quarterly.
• Analyzed data from 2016-2019, contrasting 29 ORTAC-implementing counties with 19 non-engaged counties.
• Controlled for time-varying county-level confounders, such as naloxone administration by law enforcement.

Main Results:

• Before ORTAC, average ODD rates were 8.92/100,000 in ORTAC counties and 5.62/100,000 in comparison counties.
• An estimated 30% decrease in ODD was observed in ORTAC counties within the first two quarters post-implementation.
• By the second year, ORTAC counties experienced 3.80 fewer deaths per 100,000 compared to non-ORTAC counties, avoiding an estimated 1,818 deaths over two years.

Conclusions:

• Community coordination and tailored technical assistance are impactful strategies for addressing the opioid overdose crisis.
• Future policies should support a range of overdose reduction strategies and adaptable data systems for community needs.