The Allegheny County Coroner’s Office records Allegheny County’s opioid overdose deaths on County death certificates. In 98% of Allegheny County overdose deaths, the specific drugs involved in a fatal overdose are listed on the decedent’s death certificate. This is in sharp contrast to most counties in the rest of the State, which merely state that death was caused by a drug overdose and do not identify the particular drugs involved. Philadelphia County, for example, only provides identification of specific drugs involved in 7% of its overdose deaths. Overall, the State’s death certificate information reporting is the second lowest in the country.
The Coroner’s identification of specific drugs involved in Allegheny County’s opioid overdose deaths provides crucial information to the County and the CDC. It enables the compilation of statistics showing which opioids are most prevalent at different times during the on-going opioid epidemic. Knowledge of specific drugs causal of overdose deaths can also lead to reclassification of frequently involved opioids. This, in turn, can enable tracking of prescriptions for those drugs.
Allegheny County’s Opioid Overdose Deaths Statistics
Some specific drug statistics on Allegheny County’s opioid overdose deaths include:
- Opioids fentanyl and heroin were involved in most Allegheny County drug overdoses between 2015 and 2016.
- Opioids fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone were the drugs most frequently involved in Allegheny County overdose deaths from 2014 through 2016.
- In 3,536 County overdose deaths reported between 2008 and 2017, most involved the opioid heroin. Fentanyl was the second most frequently involved drug in this overall time period.
Feldman & Pinto: Allegheny County Opioid Litigation Lawyers
Feldman & Pinto offers representation to individuals who have suffered personal injuries as a result of opioid addiction. The firm also offers opioid epidemic representation to Allegheny County, other Pennsylvania governmental entities, Pennsylvania hospitals, Pennsylvania labor unions, and Pennsylvania insurance companies that have incurred excess costs due to the opioid epidemic.
Contact Feldman & Pinto.