Methadone Accounted For 23% Of Prescription Opioid Overdose Deaths In 2014

During 2014, about 22.9% of prescription opioid overdose deaths were due to methadone. During 2014, the prescription opioid overdose death rate was 4.6 per 100,000 population, and the overdose death rate due to methadone was 1.1 per 100,000 population.

Between 1999 and 2014, the overall prescription opioid overdose death rate increased 300%, from 1.2 persons per 100,000 population (3,442 people) in 1999 to 4.6 per 100,000 population (14,838 people) in 2014. During the same period, the rate of methadone overdose deaths increased 600%, from 0.3 persons per 100 . . .