Rates of prescription drug misuse in Texas are alarmingly high:
- One in 7 Texas high school students have taken pain medications without a doctor's prescription at least once in their lifetime.
- In 2015, Texas had the second highest health-care costs — $1.96 billion — from opioid abuse in the nation.
- Texas is home to four of the top 25 cities in the U.S. for opioid abuse.
- Only 1 in 3 prescribers is using the Texas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, leading to a massive loss of data. There is substantial need for increased infrastructure and prevention measures in Texas, especially related to the rise of prescription drug misuse.
The HHS Substance Abuse Prevention program was awarded the Strategic Prevention Framework for Prescription Drugs grant in September 2016. This five-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must be used to support infrastructure development and enhance current prescription drug misuse prevention efforts.
The purpose of the grant is to raise awareness about the dangers of sharing prescription medications and to collaborate with pharmaceutical and medical communities on the risks of overprescribing to young adults. It also brings prescription drug misuse prevention activities and education to schools, communities, parents or guardians, prescribers and their patients.
Funds must be used mainly to support infrastructure development and enhance current prescription-drug misuse prevention efforts and use statewide epidemiological and Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) data to identify areas where misuse is most prevalent, as well as gaps in PDMP data. Funds must also be used to disseminate the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. The Strategic Prevention Framework model must be used to develop a statewide needs assessment, strategic plan and implementation plan.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will track reductions in opioid overdoses and the inclusion of PDMP data into needs assessments and strategic plans as signs of the program's success.
Who Can Get Services?
While there are no eligibility requirements, the following high-need communities have been targeted to receive services based on higher number of multiple provider episodes, "doctor shopping" (seeing multiple providers to get prescription drugs illicitly) and self-reported youth use:
- Houston
- Dallas
- Fort Worth
- San Antonio
- Austin
- El Paso
References
- Texas Health Data. (2017). Retrieved from https://healthdata.dshs.texas.gov/
- Matrix Global Advisors, LLC. (2015). Health Care Costs from Opioid Abuse: A State-by State Analysis. Washington DC: Matrix Global Advisor.
- Castlight Health, Inc. (2015). The Opioid Crisis in America's Workforce. Castlight Health, Inc.
- United States Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration. (2016). Registrant Population by State and Business Activity. Retrieved from office of Diversion Control: https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/webforms/odrReportSelect.do
- Multiple Provider Episodes: Ferries, E. A., Gilson, A. M., Aparasu, R. R., Chen, H., Johnson, M. L., & Fleming, M. L. (2016). Prevalence and Factors Associated with Multiple Provider Episodes in Texas: An Epidemiological Analysis of Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Data. Pain Medicine. doi:10.1093/pm/pnw250
- Marchbanks, M. P., III, Peairson, S., Baker, C., Rhodes, S., & Williams, A. (n.d.). Texas School Survey of Drug and Alcohol Use (Rep.). Retrieved from: https://www.texasschoolsurvey.org/Documents/Reports/State/16State712.pdf
- Information on self-reported youth use: texasschoolsurvey.org/ and texascollegesurvey.org/
Statewide Strategic Plan for the Prevention of Prescription Drug Misuse
In the spring of 2017, multiple strategic planning meetings were scheduled across the state. The Texas Prescription Drug Misuse Prevention Summit and regional town hall meetings invited stakeholders to offer their input on the development of a statewide strategic plan to address prescription drug misuse. People attending the summit or a regional meeting represented various sectors across the state:
- Health care
- Business
- Youth
- Parents
- Schools and universities
- Religious or fraternal organizations
- Law enforcement
- State and local government
- Media
- Civic and volunteer organizations
- Veterans
- Older adults
- LGBT community
How Do I Get Services in My Community?
To learn more or get involved, contact Project Director Kasey Strey at Kasey.Strey@hhsc.state.tx.us or 512-873-6185.