Oklahoma 2020 Book of Reports
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<strong>2020</strong> <strong>Oklahoma</strong> Nurses Association<br />
OKLAHOMA OPIOID OVERDOSE<br />
FATALITY REVIEW BOARD<br />
Submitted by: Sheila St. Cyr, M.S., R.N., N.P.D.-B.C.<br />
On May 8, 2018, Governor Mary Fallin signed HB 2798 to establish the Opioid Overdose Fatality<br />
Review Board. The Review Board was a key legislative recommendation by the <strong>Oklahoma</strong><br />
Commission on Opioid Abuse and became law in November <strong>of</strong> 2018. The Board is comprised<br />
<strong>of</strong> subject matter experts from the following areas: forensic medicine, law enforcement, criminal<br />
justice, emergency medical services, public health, drug addiction treatment and recovery, and the<br />
lived experience. The members meet quarterly to review cases and develop strategies to improve<br />
the state's response to opioid overdoses by its citizens.<br />
The Review Board met for the first time on January 29, 2019, to discuss the Board's goals and<br />
procedures. The Board met three additional times in 2019 under the direction <strong>of</strong> Dr. Jason<br />
Beaman, D.O., Chairman <strong>of</strong> the Board. Midwest City Policy Chief Brandon Clabes and Dr. Keven<br />
Taubman, M.D., serve as co-Vice-Chairmen <strong>of</strong> the Board. Local experts provided education and<br />
training on <strong>Oklahoma</strong> opioid overdose data and processes followed by the Office <strong>of</strong> the Chief<br />
Medical Examiner <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oklahoma</strong> and law enforcement agencies where opioid overdose fatalities are<br />
concerned. The Office <strong>of</strong> the Chief Medical Examiner provided a list <strong>of</strong> <strong>Oklahoma</strong> decedents who<br />
had unintentional opioid poisoning listed as the primary cause <strong>of</strong> death. The Board chose cases for<br />
review from this list.<br />
For cases reviewed, the Board staff performed an initial review <strong>of</strong> records. The information yielded<br />
from the review was abstracted to detail a timeline <strong>of</strong> events that preceded the individual's death.<br />
The cases were then presented to the Board where members performed a more comprehensive<br />
review during the executive session. The Board members, from the data collected, were asked<br />
to identify trends, opportunities for detection or intervention, and to develop recommendations<br />
to prevent fatal opioid overdoses. For 2019, the Board reviewed 13 cases. These 13 cases <strong>of</strong><br />
unintentional opioid overdoses occurred between January 2018 and September 2019. A detailed<br />
description <strong>of</strong> the demographics, cause <strong>of</strong> death by drug type, naloxone use, and other findings<br />
and recommendations are found in the full Annual Report <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Oklahoma</strong> Opioid Overdose<br />
Fatality Review Board 2019 (http://www.oag.ok.gov/Websites/oag/images/Final%20Fatality%20<br />
Review%20Board%20Report%201-31-<strong>2020</strong>_.pdf).<br />
The Board had their first meeting <strong>of</strong> 202O on January 17. There were two additional Board<br />
meetings scheduled for April 17 and July 17. Due to the rising COVID rates and concern for<br />
everyone's health and safety, these two meetings were canceled. Possible virtual platforms are<br />
being explored to ensure the Board's progress, and case reviews can continue.<br />
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