A healthcare organization announced this week that illicit fentanyl positivity in Arizona increased by 261% in patient samples from substance use disorder treatment practices tested during the first half of 2022 compared to 2019.
Millennium Health released its analysis of urine drug test results to help inform efforts to increase community awareness and education.
A dramatic increase in drug overdose deaths is being reported across the U.S. According to the CDC, Arizona overdose deaths increased over 43% between 2019 and 2021 compared to a 51% increase nationwide. 1 Contributing to these deaths is the unsuspected presence of illicit fentanyl in counterfeit pills and other substances, such as cocaine.
Reporting on urine drug test (UDT) results may help to sound an alert sooner. A previous study by Millennium Health published in JAMA Network Open found that urine drug testing results were highly correlated with mortality rates at national, state, and county levels.
“We have already seen too many Arizona families lose loved ones to drugs. Our goal is to work hand-in-hand with public health and safety authorities, health care providers, and community organizations to proactively address drug exposures and help prevent drug overdose deaths,” said Angela Huskey, PharmD, CPE, Chief Clinical Officer at Millennium Health.