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Of the 476 drug-related deaths in Utah last year, 307 were attributed to legal drugs, whether prescription or over-the-counter. The most common legally prescribable drugs involved in the deaths were opioid pain relievers, including methadone, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl.
In July 2007, the Utah State Legislature passed House Bill 137 appropriating funding to the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) to establish a program to reduce deaths and other harm from prescription opiates. The Prescription Pain Medication Management and Education Program is being led by the Utah Department of Health in collaboration with the Utah attorney general, the Labor Commission, and the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensure (DOPL).
Objective: Reduce deaths from prescription pain medication
Target: By 2009, reduce deaths from prescription opioids by 15% in Utah.
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