Opioid overdose deaths in Vermont dropped significantly last year
A report released Friday by the Vermont Department of Health says the number of deaths caused by opioids in the state dropped 22% in 2024, the second consecutive year of a decline in overdose deaths.
According to the state's Annual Fatal Overdose Report, 183 Vermonters died from an opioid-related overdose in 2024, down from 236 people in 2023.
Health officials say the decline in overdose deaths last year was the most since 2019, when 115 people died, down from 131. And it reflects a nationwide trend of decreasing overdose deaths. A report issued by the CDC this week found overdose deaths in the U.S. dropped 27% last year.
Health Department Deputy Commissioner Kelly Dougherty, who oversees Vermont's substance use programs, said years of state investment in treatment, recovery and prevention is paying off. That includes more widespread use of naloxone. Last year, the department says it distributed 70,000 doses of naloxone to first responders and other community partners
'At the same time,' she said, 'people are still dying due to opioid overdose, and we must not forget the lasting impact these losses have on families and communities. While we embrace progress, we must continue strengthening our partnerships and systems of care to respond to new challenges.'
While fentanyl is still involved in most opioid deaths Vermont — 170, or 93% of fatalities, in 2024 — fatal overdoses involving the drug have declined for two years running. At the same time, fatal overdoses involving heroin have been falling.
Meanwhile, cocaine and Xylazine were involved in significantly more fatal overdoses last year. Xylazine was found in 42% of overdose deaths last year, up 10% from 2023.
Deadly overdoses involving cocaine have been rising since 2015. Two years ago, 6 in 10 overdose deaths involved cocaine, or about 60% of the total. Last year, total deaths fell, but the percentage of deaths involving cocaine rose to 7 in 10.
Health officials emphasis that the 2024 statistics are still preliminary — 13 deaths remain unresolved, and the final tally could be higher.Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
CDC firings: Former director, fired vaccine panelist on RFK Jr's changes
(NewsNation) — While Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he wanted to restore public trust by firing the entire vaccine advisory panel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one person he fired says Kennedy did the opposite in the academic community. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices members was made up of medical and health professionals who made recommendations on the safety and use of vaccines. One of the 17 panelists fired is Dr. Noel Brewer, who joined NewsNation's 'CUOMO' on Tuesday night. 'My concern is that we've taken 60 years of efforts to build trust among health care providers in the recommendations of the advisory committee through CDC, and that trust just evaporated overnight,' Brewer said. 'It is going to be hard to get that back.' The committee was set to meet in two weeks to discuss COVID-19 and other vaccines. Judge determined OPM broke law with DOGE access to data 'I don't think most Americans even care that much about it. And now that there's all this news and people like me out from our ivory towers, it's generating interest,' Brewer said. 'But I don't think that the impact here is going to be primarily among the general public.' Dr. Robert Redfield was CDC director under the first Trump administration, and he said the public lost trust in the power of vaccines. 'I believe vaccines are the most important gift of science to modern medicine. When I was CDC director, I was very disturbed that over half of the population didn't get the flu vaccine,' he said. 'Then, the COVID pandemic came, and I have to say, although I have a lot of respect for Noel and the other people on the committee, the reality is the guidance that came out of the ACIP for COVID vaccines, I think in general, was ill-advised.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
CHESS Health Solutions' Pharmacist-Supported Hypertension Model Delivers 9:1 ROI, Improves Patient Outcomes
Delivers High Return on Investment Through Scalable, Pharmacist-Led Hypertension Management Winston-Salem, NC, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CHESS Health Solutions today announced compelling results from its centralized, pharmacist-supported hypertension care model, an innovative approach in which pharmacists collaborate with clinicians to enhance hypertension control across patient populations. This scalable model allows a single pharmacist to support multiple practices, increasing reach and efficiency—particularly for small or independent clinics that cannot support embedded pharmacy services. By leveraging this hub-based approach, CHESS improved blood pressure control while delivering a remarkable 9:1 return on investment (ROI). A Model That Delivers Clinical and Financial Results CHESS's pharmacist-supported approach isn't just clinically effective, it's financially sound. The team used an intent-to-treat analysis, meaning they counted every outreach attempt, not just the successful ones. Even with that conservative methodology, the data showed a 9:1 ROI. The takeaway is clear: centralized pharmacy care works, and it scales. 'I've worked in team-based care for nearly 15 years. I know it works,' said Rebecca Grandy, director of pharmacy at CHESS. 'What holds us back is often lack of reimbursement. But CHESS bridges that gap with technology, data, and a model that really works, especially for practices that otherwise couldn't support a pharmacist.' The Hypertension Crisis: Why the CHESS Approach Matters Nearly half of U.S. adults (119.9 million) have high blood pressure. Three in four of those adults (92 million) do not have it under control. In 2022, high blood pressure contributed to 685,875 deaths in the U.S. Annual healthcare costs related to hypertension are estimated at $219 billion. Individuals with high blood pressure incur $2,759 to $2,926 more in annual medical expenses than those without. A Proven Strategy Backed by CDC Data Team-based care has emerged as one of the most effective and cost-efficient strategies for addressing hypertension. According to the CDC and the Community Preventive Services Task Force, care models that include pharmacists could, over five years, prevent nearly 92,000 heart attacks, 139,000 strokes, and more than 115,000 cardiovascular deaths. Medicare alone could save up to $900 million over the same period. Self-measured blood pressure programs supported by care teams are estimated to return between $7.50 and $19.35 [MD3] [TR4] for every dollar invested. CHESS's care model combines clinical data, claims, and payer insights to identify high-risk, high-opportunity patients. With this intelligence, pharmacists target outreach and medication management efforts, improving outcomes across diverse populations and underserved practices. 'As clinical decision support tools become more advanced, we're expanding our ability to reach the right patients at the right time,' said Mark Dunnagan, vice president of health informatics at CHESS. 'The combination of data and pharmacist-driven care is powerful and scalable.' A Model Built for Equity and Value The model also addresses equity, an essential component of effective population health management. The U.S. Surgeon General's Call to Action underscores the need for team-based care models to reduce hypertension disparities, particularly among Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities, where rates of uncontrolled blood pressure are significantly higher. CHESS's pharmacist-supported model directly supports this goal by expanding access to expert medication management and clinical follow-up in settings that need it most. This ensures that patients, regardless of geography, race, or clinic size, receive consistent, high-quality support for chronic disease management. 'Equity and value aren't separate goals—they're deeply connected,' said Grandy. 'A model that works financially, clinically, and across all populations is exactly what our healthcare system needs.' About CHESS Health SolutionsCHESS Health Solutions is a physician-led company value services company dedicated to improving patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs. With a focus on innovation and quality, CHESS continues to be at the forefront of transforming healthcare delivery. Through sustained clinical innovation, contract negotiation experience, and high-touch care, CHESS is committed to success in quality improvement, cost reduction, and most important, better patient outcomes. Visit for more information. CONTACT: Thomas Royal CHESS Health Solutions 336-821-7065 troyal@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
CHESS Health Solutions' Pharmacist-Supported Hypertension Model Delivers 9:1 ROI, Improves Patient Outcomes
Delivers High Return on Investment Through Scalable, Pharmacist-Led Hypertension Management Winston-Salem, NC, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CHESS Health Solutions today announced compelling results from its centralized, pharmacist-supported hypertension care model, an innovative approach in which pharmacists collaborate with clinicians to enhance hypertension control across patient populations. This scalable model allows a single pharmacist to support multiple practices, increasing reach and efficiency—particularly for small or independent clinics that cannot support embedded pharmacy services. By leveraging this hub-based approach, CHESS improved blood pressure control while delivering a remarkable 9:1 return on investment (ROI). A Model That Delivers Clinical and Financial Results CHESS's pharmacist-supported approach isn't just clinically effective, it's financially sound. The team used an intent-to-treat analysis, meaning they counted every outreach attempt, not just the successful ones. Even with that conservative methodology, the data showed a 9:1 ROI. The takeaway is clear: centralized pharmacy care works, and it scales. 'I've worked in team-based care for nearly 15 years. I know it works,' said Rebecca Grandy, director of pharmacy at CHESS. 'What holds us back is often lack of reimbursement. But CHESS bridges that gap with technology, data, and a model that really works, especially for practices that otherwise couldn't support a pharmacist.' The Hypertension Crisis: Why the CHESS Approach Matters Nearly half of U.S. adults (119.9 million) have high blood pressure. Three in four of those adults (92 million) do not have it under control. In 2022, high blood pressure contributed to 685,875 deaths in the U.S. Annual healthcare costs related to hypertension are estimated at $219 billion. Individuals with high blood pressure incur $2,759 to $2,926 more in annual medical expenses than those without. A Proven Strategy Backed by CDC Data Team-based care has emerged as one of the most effective and cost-efficient strategies for addressing hypertension. According to the CDC and the Community Preventive Services Task Force, care models that include pharmacists could, over five years, prevent nearly 92,000 heart attacks, 139,000 strokes, and more than 115,000 cardiovascular deaths. Medicare alone could save up to $900 million over the same period. Self-measured blood pressure programs supported by care teams are estimated to return between $7.50 and $19.35 [MD3] [TR4] for every dollar invested. CHESS's care model combines clinical data, claims, and payer insights to identify high-risk, high-opportunity patients. With this intelligence, pharmacists target outreach and medication management efforts, improving outcomes across diverse populations and underserved practices. 'As clinical decision support tools become more advanced, we're expanding our ability to reach the right patients at the right time,' said Mark Dunnagan, vice president of health informatics at CHESS. 'The combination of data and pharmacist-driven care is powerful and scalable.' A Model Built for Equity and Value The model also addresses equity, an essential component of effective population health management. The U.S. Surgeon General's Call to Action underscores the need for team-based care models to reduce hypertension disparities, particularly among Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities, where rates of uncontrolled blood pressure are significantly higher. CHESS's pharmacist-supported model directly supports this goal by expanding access to expert medication management and clinical follow-up in settings that need it most. This ensures that patients, regardless of geography, race, or clinic size, receive consistent, high-quality support for chronic disease management. 'Equity and value aren't separate goals—they're deeply connected,' said Grandy. 'A model that works financially, clinically, and across all populations is exactly what our healthcare system needs.' About CHESS Health SolutionsCHESS Health Solutions is a physician-led company value services company dedicated to improving patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs. With a focus on innovation and quality, CHESS continues to be at the forefront of transforming healthcare delivery. Through sustained clinical innovation, contract negotiation experience, and high-touch care, CHESS is committed to success in quality improvement, cost reduction, and most important, better patient outcomes. Visit for more information. CONTACT: Thomas Royal CHESS Health Solutions 336-821-7065 troyal@ al recuperar los datos Inicia sesión para acceder a tu cartera de valores Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos
