A proposed bill in the Maryland General Assembly could help save lives by requiring hospitals to conduct a test for fentanyl in patients suspected of drug overdose. HB 811, sponsored by state Del. Joe Vogel, D-Montgomery, aims to address the prevalence of fentanyl in communities across Maryland.
The need for such a bill was highlighted by Melanie Yates, who wrote a guest commentary in Maryland Matters detailing the death of her partner Josh Siems from a fentanyl overdose. Siems had struggled with opioid addiction for a decade and was found alone and unresponsive on his bathroom floor in October 2022. Medical reports did not initially show fentanyl in his system, as hospitals generally test for five different classes of drugs, known colloquially as the "federal five," but not always fentanyl. Yates and Siems' family later discovered the drug in his apartment.
Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, accounts for drastically more overdose deaths than other substances in Maryland, according to data from the Maryland Opioid Operational Command Center. There were 2,001 overdose deaths from fentanyl in the 12-month period ending in October 2022, more than twice as many as cocaine, the substance with the second-highest overdose deaths.
"This is critical considering the prevalence of fentanyl in our communities right now," Vogel said during the bill's Feb. 23 hearing in the House Health and Government Operations Committee.
Yates testified during the bill hearing, stating that hospitals serve as the first line of defense and the testing that occurs in them directly informs opioid prevention strategies. "If we are not routinely testing for fentanyl, then we are vastly undercounting the number of fatal and nonfatal fentanyl-related overdoses that are happening in our state," Yates said.
The number of fatal overdoses from fentanyl has risen drastically in recent years. According to data from the Maryland Opioid Operational Command Center, there were 2,348 fatal overdoses from fentanyl in 2021 compared to just 26 in 2011, a nearly 90% increase.
Caryl Siems, Josh Siems' mother, also testified during the bill hearing. "We have a public health crisis. We need to do better," she said.
If the bill passes, hospitals in Maryland would be required to test for fentanyl in patients suspected of drug overdose, ensuring that accurate data is collected and that appropriate prevention strategies can be implemented to combat the opioid epidemic.
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