Drugs involved in Kentucky drug poisoning deaths and relation with antecedent controlled substance prescription dispensing

Table 2 History of controlled substance prescription dispensing for Kentucky residents who died from drug poisoning in 2021 (n = 2248), by specific drug mentioned with involvement on the death certificate

Drug mentioned with involvement in drug poisoning deaths^a	N(%^d)	Dispensing history^e for the specific drugs mentioned with involvement, by time interval preceding the death
		1 month prior	3 months prior	6 months prior	Since 2008
		N(%^f)	N(%^f)	N(%^f)	N(%^f)
FENTANYL^b	1,568(69.8)	≤ 5^g	≤ 5	≤ 5	47(3.0)
METHAMPHETAMINE	937(41.7)	0	0	0	0
AMPHETAMINE	391(17.4)	13(3.3)	16(4.1)	16(4.1)	36(9.2)
GABAPENTIN^c	259(11.5)	104(40.1)	114(44.0)	125(48.3)	163(62.9)
OXYCODONE	146(6.5)	54(37.0)	60(41.1)	61(41.8)	108(74.0)
ALPRAZOLAM	133(5.9)	36(27.1)	36(27.1)	37(27.8)	68(51.1)
HYDROCODONE	123(5.5)	41(33.3)	49(39.8)	59(48.0)	111(90.2)
MORPHINE	97(4.3)	0	0	0	10(10.3)
CLONAZEPAM	78(3.5)	34(43.6)	36(46.2)	37(47.4)	50(64.1)
DIAZEPAM	59(2.6)	19(32.2)	20(33.9)	21(35.6)	35(59.3)
TRAMADOL	54(2.4)	11(20.4)	15(27.8)	16(29.6)	31(57.4)
BUPRENORPHINE	49(2.2)	19(38.8)	22(44.9)	22(44.9)	33(67.3)
METHADONE^h	40(1.8)	≤ 5	≤ 5	≤ 5	≤ 5

^aDeaths involving HEROIN (n = 58; 2.6%) or COCAINE (n = 220; 9.8%) were not included in Table 2 as they do not have corresponding prescription drug products that would be dispensed and reported to the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting (KASPER) system
^bThe referent group FENTANYL included fentanyl and fentanyl analogs mentioned with involvement in drug poisoning deaths. The reported prescription history for decedents with fentanyl/fentanyl analog- involved deaths is for prescription fentanyl (see Appendix, Table A1, for MEDI-SPAN Search Criteria). The interpretation of the data is that for example, 47 (3%) of the decedents who experienced fentanyl/fentanyl analog- involved drug poisoning deaths had a prescription for fentanyl dispensed after January 1, 2008
^cGabapentin became a Schedule V controlled substance in Kentucky, reportable to KASPER on July 1, 2017
^dPercent of the total number of drug poisoning deaths (n = 2248)
^eDefinitions for selecting the drug products (MEDI-SPAN search criteria) are provided in Table A1 (see Additional File 1)
^fRow percent
^gCounts greater than 0 but ≤ 5 were suppressed according to the state data reporting policy; Percentages are not reported in the case of a suppressed cell count
^hMethadone for treatment of opioid use disorder is not reported to KASPER
Note: The drug involved groups are not mutually exclusive; a death that involved multiple substances is reported under each relevant reference drug

ISSN: 1747-597X