http://goo.gl/HbLrGq
he overdose death rate in Washington decreased 27 percent 2008 and 2012, while national rates have remained essentially unchanged. According to a new study in the American Journal of Public Health, average opioid doses in Washington have also declined, likely accounting for many of the lives saved.
"Our State's ability to shift this epidemic into reverse has been the result of strong partnerships among state agencies, university pain specialists, legislators and health care providers," said study lead author Gary Franklin, Medical Director, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, and a professor at the Univ. of Washington, Seattle.
New state laws on prescription opioid use, including one that mandated the adoption of new dosing guidelines; a statewide Prescription Drug Monitoring Program; and telemedicine and on-line programs for health care providers have all been key to the turnaround.