Drug Overdose Prevention Drug Overdose Surveillance

The mission of the Kentucky Drug Overdose Surveillance program is to provide timely reports on the morbidity and mortality associated with drug overdose in the Commonwealth.

With the establishment of the Drug Overdose Technical Assistance Core (DOTAC), this program works with local health departments, community stakeholders, and local and statewide agencies to develop evidence-based initiatives that address issues associated with substance misuse, abuse, and overdose. DOTAC maintains multiple databases that lend insight into injury patterns in Kentucky, including the datasets of emergency department visits, inpatient hospitalizations, death certificates, prescription drug monitoring, and workers' compensation claims.

These data are used to develop presentations on local and regional trends and harm reduction efforts, to identify specific targets for evidence-based prevention programs, to recruit and retain community stakeholders in the fight against drug overdose, and to help translate research into actionable interventions.