Equipping DC Physicians
To Prevent and Treat Opioid Use Disorder
The EPIC Program provides physicians and prescribers with the training, tools, and clinical support needed to identify opioid use disorder, prescribe safely, and connect patients to evidence-based treatment — right here in the District.
Our city crisis
Washington, DC is facing a sustained opioid overdose crisis, and physicians are on the front line of the response. Fatalities have climbed steadily nearly every year since 2018, driven almost entirely by fentanyl and its analogs. This crisis remains concentrated among older, long-term residents in the city. However, younger and newer users from prescription-opioid-driven pattern and other pathways are also on the rise. Physicians who understand these local realities are better equipped to recognize risk, intervene early, and prescribe responsibly.
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Facts (source: DC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, "Opioid-Related Fatalities: January 1, 2018 to June 30, 2024", Report Date: September 19, 2024, Government of the District of Columbia)
More than half of opioid-related deaths have involved fentanyl or a fentanyl analog every year since 2018, with the proportion continuing to climb;
Fentanyl overtook heroin as the most prevalent opioid detected starting in 2017 and remains so today.
349 prescription opioids were identified in opioid-related fatalities from 2018 through June 2024; methadone and oxycodone are currently the most prevalent prescription opioids found.
Approximately 70% of all opioid-related deaths occurred among adults ages 40–69, with 55% among those ages 50–69.
84% of all opioid-related deaths (2,126 of 2,515) were among Black DC residents — a trend that has remained consistent over the years.
Opioid-related fatalities are more common among males.
Most decedents were DC residents, and from 2018 through June 2024, opioid-related deaths were most prevalent among residents of Wards 5, 7, and 8 (1,086 deaths), though there is some variation year to year.
What Physicians Can Do
DC has built tools specifically to help physicians support patients with opioid use disorder — including access to medication assistance programs for uninsured and underinsured patients. EPIC training connects physicians to this existing infrastructure so referrals and prescribing decisions translate directly into patient access.
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Facts (source: LIVE.LONG.DC., "For Providers")
The Buprenorphine Drug Assistance Program (BUP-DAP) is a DC program that gives uninsured and underinsured patients with a valid prescription access to medications for opioid use disorder, including buprenorphine/naloxone and naltrexone injection, while they await enrollment in DC Medicaid or other insurance.
Physicians or case managers initiate BUP-DAP enrollment on a patient's behalf after determining the treatment is appropriate.
DC Fire and EMS operates a Mobile Integrated Health Team (202-480-3224, 10am–8pm) that assists patients in starting opioid use disorder treatment in urgent situations.
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