The District of Columbia’s Opioid Fatality Review Board (OFRB) is proud to present its 3rd Annual Report. The OFRB was established in 2019 and explored the root cause of overdose deaths in the District and made recommendations to prevent these deaths by implementing system-level changes that would positively affect the community.

In 2021, the United States experienced a record number of drug overdose deaths. From 2020 to 2021, there was a 12.5% increase1 in the number of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates over 550 people died of a drug overdose in the District of Columbia in, 2021-almost 10% more than 2020. The District also experienced numerous non-fatal overdoses in 2021. Many of the drug overdose incidences, both fatal and non-fatal, in the District can be attributed to the spread of Fentanyl and its analogs. The Opioid Fatality Review Board (OFRB) continues to focus on reducing opioid deaths by conducting case reviews of fatal opioid overdoses to provide recommendations to relevant stakeholders for systemic changes to District agency policies and programs.

OPIOID FATALITY REVIEW BOARD 2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Washington, DC