Missouri had 1,948 drug overdose deaths reported last year, down from Missouri’s all time high of 2,180 deaths in 2022. One reason there are fewer deaths is because of the increasing availability of Naloxone – a lifesaving medication that reverses overdoses.
Dr. Heidi Miller, Missouri’s Chief Medical Officer, told Missourinet that substance use disorder is a chronic disease that’s not always curable. But, she said treatments are working.
“There are multiple providers and more providers than ever that are diagnosing substance use disorder and treating it,” Dr. Miller said.
Miller said that the more clinicians who can treat the disorder, the more the numbers will go down.
“Any doctor who is practicing general medicine, primary care, even pediatrics, or OBGYN or psychiatry should be able to handle opioid use disorder in the same way that any of us should be able to handle low thyroid levels, congestive heart failure, or hypertension,” she explained.
Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are the primary drug causing death. Just because the deaths are decreasing, Miller said it’s not over.
“We always have to move as far upstream as possible,” she said. “It’s still an issue. Even though we’ve seen a decline in the deaths, it’s still the number one leading cause of death among adults age 18 – 44.”
Naloxone is available, usually at no cost, from local public health departments, health clinics, and through the mail by going to GetMissouriNaloxone.com.
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