HARFORD COUNTY, MD — The rate of fatal drug and alcohol overdoses in the state continues at an epidemic pace — especially for users of heroin, fentanyl and the even more lethal carfentanyl — say state officials, who begged users to get into treatment before it's too late. The Maryland Department of Health released data for fatal overdoses for the first quarter of 2017, and the numbers show that opioid-related overdose deaths continue to skyrocket in the state.

From January to March 2017, there were 550 drug and alcohol overdose-related deaths in Maryland, including 372 fentanyl-related deaths, health officials said. During the same three-month period in 2016, 401 Marylanders died from an overdose. "Fentanyl and synthetic drugs continue to claim the lives of Marylanders, many of whom are unknowingly consuming them," said Health Secretary Dennis Schrader in a news release. "We implore Marylanders who are grappling with substance use disorder and are taking illicit substances to seek treatment immediately."



Overdose-related deaths in the first quarter of the year doubled from 2017 to 2016 in Harford County. There were 30 drug and alcohol intoxication deaths in Harford County in the first quarter of 2017, compared to 14 in the first quarter of 2016. Baltimore County saw the largest increase in drug-related deaths, where 176 people died in the first quarter of 2017, compared to 113 people in the first quarter of 2016.

The new quarterly data shows fentanyl, an additive that is often combined with other opioids, continues to increase the number of overdose deaths. Fentanyl and a related additive called carfentanil are 50 and 100 times more potent than heroin, health officials said. SEE ALSO:

On July 1, 2017, three new initiatives to further combat the opioid epidemic went into effect. First, the Maryland Medicaid policies reforming the opioid-prescribing process went into effect. This new police requires prior authorization for all high-dose and long-acting opioids issued to Maryland Medicaid recipients.

The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program went into effect, which allows providers and pharmacists access to their patients' history of such prescribed controlled dangerous substances as prescribed opioids. Prescribers are required, with some exceptions, to query and review their patient's PDMP data prior to prescribing an opioid or benzodiazepine and at least every 90 days thereafter, as long as the course of treatment continues to include prescribing an opioid or benzodiazepine. Maryland Medicaid also began to reimbursement for federally funded residential substance use treatment. Maryland was the third state in the nation to be granted a waiver from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide treatment with federal Medicaid dollars.