Illinois Opioid Prescription Data

Healthcare practitioners wrote 259 million prescriptions for opioid pain medication in 2012, enough for almost a full bottle of pills for every adult in the country. Illinois opioid prescribing rates are relatively low compared to other states. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois ranked 41st out of 50 states and the District of Columbia on opioid prescription rates. A great deal of variation exists in the rate of opioid prescription across Illinois regions and between counties, however. Most who rely on opioid use for treatment of chronic pain over an extended period of time never misuse opioids or develop an opioid use disorder. Opioid-related drug overdose deaths in Illinois markedly increased from 2015 to 2016. In 2014, 61 percent of all U.S. overdose deaths involved some type of opioid compared to 70 percent in Illinois. This interactive data dashboard illustrates opioid prescribing practices in Illinois between 2008 and 2016 and drug overdose deaths from 2013 to 2016.