New analysis shows Lansing, Grand Rapids and several of Metro Detroit’s Downriver communities are experiencing higher rates of opioid overdoses.
Data analytics from the last 5 years show Lincoln Park and Ecorse having the highest drug-related death rates in Michigan.
Kim Gaedeke is Acting Deputy Director of the regulatory agency.
She said the some of the data came from the state’s mandatory automated prescription system... which requires doctors to submit patient information when prescribing narcotics.
Top Cities by Number of Drug-Related Overdoses 2013-2015: Detroit - 447 deaths; Grand Rapids - 138 deaths; Lansing - 123 deaths.
The report cross-referenced prescribers, prescriptions and patients.
"What we ended up doing was looking at RX volume by patient and dispenser zip code," said Gaedeke. "Characteristics the patient suffering a drug-related overdose death and the analysis of vulnerable patient subpopulations, drug-related death totals, rates by city, as well as prescriber characteristics. So there were a number of different things looked at and reviewed and broken down.”
Gaedeke said the findings may help lead to new laws... target resources and design programs to address the opioid crisis.