The complex and changing nature of the opioid overdose epidemic highlights the need for an interdisciplinary, comprehensive, and cohesive public health approach.

States, territories, and local partners need access to complete and timely data on prescribing, and on nonfatal and fatal drug overdoses

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to understand the scope, direction, and contours of the epidemic.

They also need the tools and resources to then use data to inform and target their prevention and response efforts.

This NOFO integrates work funded through three previous CDC funding opportunities:
Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention for States (CDC-RFA-CE15-1501), Data Driven Prevention Initiative (CDC-RFA-CE16-1606) and Enhanced State Surveillance of Opioid-Involved Morbidity and Mortality (CDC-RFA-CE16-1608).

This three year funding opportunity will continue work focused on:
increasing comprehensiveness and timeliness of surveillance data; building state and local capacity for public health programs determined to be promising based on research evidence; making Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) easier to use and access; and working with health systems, insurers, and communities to improve opioid prescribing.

It adds new work focused on linkages to care and other areas of innovation supported by evidence-based practice.