CDC Grant Fuels KIPRC's Fight Against Opioid Epidemic

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 9, 2015) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC) at the University of Kentucky $940,000 each year for the next four years to combat the prescription drug abuse and heroin epidemic in Kentucky. KIPRC is a collaboration of the University of Kentucky and Kentucky Department for Public Health. 

The Drug Overdose Prevention for Kentucky grant will establish a Drug Overdose Technical Assistance Center, which will provide targeted drug overdose data to local communities and inform drug overdose prevention interventions and policies. The grant will enhance the integration of Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting (KASPER) reports with electronic health records to improve physician workflow. In addition, the program will involve the development of web-based and in-person continuing education training for health care providers, addressing addiction, pain management, best prescribing practices and uses for naloxone. Police officers in local communities will also receive training on the proper use of naloxone. 

"The integrating KASPER with electronic health records, collecting drug overdose data, controlling substance prescription guidelines and knowing the specific substances that contribute to drug overdose deaths will help local communities and the state of Kentucky better target substance abuse treatment, policies and law enforcement," Terry Bunn, director of the KIPRC and principal investigator on the grant, said. 

According to the CDC, opioid pain relievers — also called prescription painkillers — such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and hydromorphone are responsible for three-fourths of all prescription drug overdose deaths and cause more than 16,600 deaths in the United States in 2010. Nationally, deaths involving opioids have more than quadrupled since 1999. Kentucky’s overdose death rate for 2010 (23.6 per 100,000 population) is above the national rate (12.4 per 100,000 population).

The funds will be used to target interventions in counties with some of the highest rates of drug overdoses, including Jefferson, Fayette, Boone, Kenton and Campbell. 

“The opioid epidemic continues to wreak havoc on communities and families throughout the Commonwealth,” Sen. Mitch McConnell, who wrote a letter of support on behalf of KIPRIC, said. “I am pleased to see Dr. Frieden continue to prioritize federal funding opportunities at CDC to help identify and prevent prescription drug abuse and heroin use in Kentucky. I look forward to seeing how this competitive grant enhances the efforts of KIPRC in saving lives.”

“Nearly 150,000 Americans have died from prescription drug overdoses in the past decade, and Kentucky has been hit especially hard,” CDC director Tom Frieden said. “Because we can protect many Americans from becoming addicted to opioids, we must take swift action to help states track prescriptions to improve safer prescribing. Kentucky has taken action and has the leadership and commitment to turn the tide on this epidemic.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Elizabeth Adam, elizabethadams@uky.edu