Plummeting PRESCRIPTION RATES
Montgomery County has seen a steady decline in the opioid prescription dispensing rate since 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
THE CRISIS
0 20 40 60 80 100
81.2
82.6
82.7
State funding and education resources were implemented to curb opioid addiction and overdoses in Montgomery County. SETTLEMENTS TO ROLL OUT Local cities are expected to receive funds from settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors. Montgomery County: $2.7 million
80.7
75.5
66.5
60.6
55.2
50.6
46.2
37.5
In 2020, there were enough opioid prescriptions dispensed for over one-third of Montgomery County residents.
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
SOURCE: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Conroe: $466,671
made them a lot more evident,” Varisco said. “We’ve known we have had problems with training pre- scribers and preventing unnecessary prescriptions.” Varisco also highlighted a lack of providers for treatment drugs such as buprenorphine in lower-income areas in the state. The SAMHSA’s buprenorphine provider map showed in the Con- roe-Montgomery area, there are no approved pro- viders in the Montgomery or Willis area, although there are 10 in Conroe. Tiffany Young, a spokesperson for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, said following the launch of the TTOR in 2017, over three-quarters of the state are within 30 minutes of a medication-assisted treatment. “We have seen an increase in access and use of telehealth services by individuals that did not pre- viously have access to these programs,” Young said. However, a public TTOR map showed parts of Montgomery County north of The Woodlands do not have a state-operated treatment site within a 30-minute drive. Other commonly abused substances do not have treatments readily available either. Jane Maxwell, professor emeritus at the University of Texas, said cocaine and methamphetamine are two commonly abused substances that do not have treatment beyond abstinence or quitting the drug outright. Some barriers for treatment go beyond drug-re- lated issues, such as the lack of accessible public transportation in Texas. “Proximity to care is just not there. Patients are in rural areas, but providers are in the cities,” Varisco said. Government solutions Federal, state and local entities are working to address the opioid epidemic through funding, law enforcement resources and increased education surrounding opioid misuse. James Campbell, chief of emergency medical ser- vices for the Montgomery County Hospital District, said law enforcement initiatives, including the use of naloxone—an overdose emergency treatment— were implemented in 2019 to prevent opioid over- doses in Montgomery County. “We train and educate law enforcement on how to use Narcan [device that delivers naloxone],” Campbell said. “When they arrive to a patient
who’s not breathing from an overdose, they’re able to give the Narcan before the ambulance even arrives.” In addition, the TTOR has received over $280 million in funding since its inception in 2017, Young said. The TTOR offers programs for Tex- ans to discard unneeded opioids as well as video trainings for health professionals to limit unnec- essary prescriptions. Statewide, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Feb. 16 that the state secured a nearly $1.17 billion settlement with three major pharma- ceutical companies: AmerisourceBergen, McKesson and Cardinal. According to the attorney general’s announcement, Texas has secured $1.89 billion to date from opioid settlements. “Texans have been devastated by the opioid cri- sis, and it is important that this settlement is pro- portioned fairly among the communities that need it most,” Paxton said in a statement. The cities of Conroe, Montgomery and Willis joined more than 400 other Texas municipalities that have signed on to receive funds from settle- ment agreements with Janssen, owned by Johnson & Johnson; AmerisourceBergen; Cardinal Health; and McKesson. According to global settlement allocation fig- ures from the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Conroe will receive $466,671; Willis will receive $24,384; Montgomery will receive $1,884; and Montgomery County will receive $2.7 million. Varisco said he would like to see settlement money flowing toward poorer and rural commu- nities to help address the disparity in treatment options those communities face. Franklin agreed, adding a state- or federally funded detoxification center could ease capacity and make treatment more affordable. “Private detox and residential treatment on the cheap end [is] $20,000,” Franklin said. “[A state- funded center] would also increase capacity. You have such a small window for someone to seek treatment, and you need to capitalize on that before they relapse.” Ally Bolender contributed to this report.
Willis: $24,384
Montgomery: $1,884
The Texas attorney general’s o ce provides a list of opioid remediation uses. SETTLEMENT FUNDING USES
Community drug disposal programs
Youth-focused education programs
Expanded telehealth to increase access to treatment
Fellowships for addiction medicine specialists
Expand rst responder and law enforcement training
SOURCE: TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
A variety of programs are o ered in Conroe ISD to educate students and prevent drug use. YOUTH EDUCATION EFFORTS HEALTH INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS Curriculum under review covers topics about opioid use, addiction and overdose. D.A.R.E. Ten Drug Abuse Resistance Education instructors teach a drug misuse curriculum. DRUG SAFETY CLASSES Conroe ISD Police Department o ers drug safety classes to student and community groups. KIDCHAT An anonymous phone tip line at 888-543-2428 allows anyone to report illegal drug use or possession via text or phone. Tips are investigated by campus administration and by Conroe ISD police. FIND HELP Call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 800-662-4357 or visit www.samhsa.gov for resources and treatment.
For more information, visit communityimpact.com.
SOURCE: CONROE ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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CONROE - MONTGOMERY EDITION • MARCH 2022
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