Arizona had 191 opioid overdoses, 15 deaths last week

Josiah Destin | The Republic | azcentral.com

Show Caption Hide Caption Arizona attorney general speaks on opioid crisis Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich talks about steps to fight the opioid crisis. Robert Gundran/azcentral.com

Fifteen opioid-suspected deaths were recorded last week in Arizona, the state Department of Health Services said Monday.

Those deaths were among the 191 opioid overdose cases overall recorded from June 15-22, the agency said, further highlighting a problem that has drawn national attention in the past year.

The opioid epidemic has prompted a state and national public-health response, with measures to raise awareness about the dangers of overprescribing pain pills and to make the overdose-rescue medication naloxone more widely available.

Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order on June 13 requiring ADHS to present opioid-related statistics each week.

MORE: Ex-company executives face investigations over opioid spray, patient deaths

ADHS said there were a reported 18 babies with drug-related withdrawal symptoms last week.

The agency said 62 percent of overdoses were male, and those between 35-44 were most affected, with nearly 40. In Maricopa County, there were 106 overdoses last week and 50 in Pima County.

There were 790 reported opioid deaths in Arizona in 2016, the largest yearly amount in Arizona's history, according to ADHS. With 15 last week, opioid-suspected deaths are predicted to be on par with 2016 totals, state health officials said.

"We will be using this data to see where we can intervene and prevent future overdoses and deaths," said Dr. Cara Christ, ADHS director.

Christ said naloxone, an antidote that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, can be obtained in pharmacies without a prescription.

A total of 102 naloxone doses were administered outside of the hospital by emergency-medical services, law enforcement and others last week, ADHS said.

Another 51 naloxone doses were dispensed to the public by pharmacies.

READ MORE:

Arizona declares opioid crisis a public-health emergency

Opioid overdoses join Zika, measles as a reportable Arizona health concern

CVS is the latest to ease access to opioid-overdose drug in Arizona