Vast majority of opioid deaths in British Columbia involve illicit substances

Around 76% of opioid overdose deaths in British Columbia involved only an illicit or non-prescribed substance such as fentanyl, according to new research. Looking at prescriptions histories and toxicology data recorded for deaths between 2015 and 2017, scientists found that only about 7% of nearly 1,800 deaths with available data resulted from a combination of a prescribed and a non-prescribed opioid, while just 2% didn't involve any non-prescribed opioids. Among the majority involving a non-prescribed opioid, nearly 80% were due to fentanyl or a fentanyl analogue, while toxicologists also detected stimulants in about 70% of cases. The findings point to doing more than just reducing the rate of opioid prescriptions to combat the opioid crisis, the authors suggest.