Governor: 3 big things we're doing to stop opioid addiction Governor: We're treating opioid addiction as public health emergency - because it is one.

Doug Ducey | AZ I See It

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

Seven-hundred and ninety.

That’s how many people died from opioid overdoses in 2016. Not nationwide — that’s just in Arizona.

Moms. Dads. Husbands. Wives. Taken too soon because of a growing crisis in our country: Addiction to opioids.

Earlier this month, I declared a public health emergency in the state to address this epidemic.

The issue is not unique to Arizona — all states are facing it. But in our state, we are taking serious and strategic action to save lives.

A few days before I issued this declaration, the Arizona Department of Health Services released an alarming report. It concluded that an average of more than two Arizonans died every day as the result of an opioid overdose, a startling 74 percent increase in just four years.

That is unacceptable.

My message to anyone suffering from drug addiction, and to their families, is this: You are more than a statistic. I want you to have the confidence in knowing that our state cares about you and about this crisis.

Here’s what we are doing to fight it:

1. Collecting better, more immediate data

The stories are real, and they are heartbreaking. Someone goes in for a routine procedure, and they’re prescribed a painkiller – potent and addictive. When they run out, they are hooked, and turn to something stronger. Maybe heroin. In the blink of an eye, their life, and their family’s life, spirals out of control.

To help these individuals, we need solutions:

Limiting first fills as studies show that the chance of addiction increases after only a week.

Cracking down on those who overprescribe.

We also need information. And we can’t rely on year-old, delayed data. We need updated stats about exactly what is happening, and we need it now.

Our declaration directs officials at the Arizona Department of Health Services to amplify their ongoing public-health efforts in order to make this happen. In conjunction with this declaration, I issued an executive order requiring those who encounter opioid overdoses — licensed health care providers, medical examiners, and others — to send their data to Arizona public health officials within 24 hours.

This will allow state public health professionals to more effectively share real-time, actionable information in order to prevent more deaths.

Our fiscal 2018 budget also funds an expert analyst to conduct data analytics and give our auditors and investigators a clearer picture of the opioid landscape in Arizona.

With this new, quickly updated information, we’ll be able to scrutinize relevant data and understand exactly what we’re facing in real time, allowing us to make the most informed choices with the resources at our disposal.

2. Getting naloxone to those who are addicted

There are Arizonans at this very moment suffering from an addiction to opioids. They may know it, they may not. But the steps we take next will determine whether these men and women get a second chance.

It is never too late, even in the midst of an overdose.

That’s why I signed legislation allowing pharmacists to dispense medication to certain individuals who suffer from addiction, or know someone who is, without a prescription. The medication, naloxone, counteracts the effects of an overdose, effectively saving the life of an Arizonan who is about to die.

Additionally, through a state grant to distribute naloxone, we’ve already seen 653 opioid reversals from January 2017 through April 2017 alone. As part of this emergency, the state will be offering training in naloxone administration and free doses to law enforcement across the state so they can help when they come upon the scene of an overdose.

The private sector is joining our efforts. Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy are two of the most recent partners to announce that they will begin selling naloxone without a prescription in our state. This will no doubt make it easier for Arizonans to access vital resources.

We can also help Arizonans whose addictions — and actions — put them behind bars. Addiction is no excuse for committing a crime, but we can’t ignore the fact that drug addiction is behind so many of the crimes we see.

Once someone has served their time, let’s give them a real shot at a second chance. In January, I issued an executive order to ensure that Arizonans who are suffering from addiction have the opportunity to be treated with addiction-blocking medication before leaving prison. Vivitrol has been called a “miracle drug” for its ability to accomplish this. By providing this blocker, we can give these men and women a chance to rebuild their lives and avoid slipping back into the cycle of addiction.

3. Preventing addiction before it happens

The reality is: The best way to address the opioid epidemic is to stop addiction before it happens.

My Office of Youth, Faith and Family recently released $3.5 million to invest in prevention programs aimed at high school students. But it doesn’t stop there.

Our medical community needs to be equipped to handle the addiction crisis, too, which is why I sent a letter to the state medical board in January requiring physicians in Arizona to complete continuing education in drug addiction. It’s important to me that our medical professionals understand exactly what addiction is and what it is not.

The solutions to this crisis are non-partisan. Last year, Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature unanimously voted to prevent the harmful practice of “doctor shopping,” which is when individuals struggling with addiction try to obtain several prescriptions from several physicians at the same time. By asking medical professionals to update the Controlled Substance Prescription Monitoring Program computer database before prescribing opioids, we’re bringing more accountability to the current system.

We’re also preventing these harmful overprescribing practices by limiting the first fill of opioids for adults when the state of Arizona is paying. For children, we’re limiting all fills, with exceptions for specific medical cases.

More work is needed, and we won’t be checking the box and moving on from this crisis. Whether it’s education and prevention or more accountability and enforcement in our medical and prescription sectors, Arizona will attack this issue from all fronts.

Without a doubt, this epidemic is a public health emergency, and we’re treating it as one.

Doug Ducey is the governor of Arizona. Share your thoughts at dougducey@az.gov.