Area health and safety organizations recently formed a task force to help address the growing public health crisis surrounding addiction to prescription pain medications. The group began meeting in August and includes representatives from local health care providers in Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties, law enforcement agencies, Oregon State University, county health departments and the region’s Coordinated Care Organization, IHN-CCO.

“We are working to develop a multi-faceted approach to addressing this vitally important issue, for the health of our patients and the larger community,” said Task Force Chair Ryan Combs, Vice President for Primary and Specialty Services at Samaritan Health Services. In recent years, Oregon has led the nation in the estimated rate of non-medical use of prescription pain medicine, also called opioids. Over the past decade in Oregon, the number of opioid overdose deaths increased by 450 percent and currently claims more lives annually than auto accidents.

Similar trends are being seen locally, officials say. “Over the past several years, the number of prescription drugs on the street has been on rise,” said Linn County Undersheriff Jim Yon. “During this same time period, we have also seen a sharp rise in the use and possession of heroin.”