Drug Overdose and Misuse Alert System (DOMAS) Houston

The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program (COAP) was developed as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) legislation. COAP’s purpose is to provide financial and technical assistance to states, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments to plan, develop, and implement comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by the opioid epidemic. The Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) has been incorporated into the FY 2019 COAP solicitation. The purpose of the Harold Rogers PDMP is to improve collaboration and strategic decision making among regulatory and law enforcement agencies and public health entities to address prescription drug and opioid abuse, save lives, and reduce crime.

COAP aims to reduce opioid abuse and the number of overdose fatalities, as well as to mitigate the impacts on crime victims by supporting comprehensive, collaborative initiatives. The program also supports the implementation, enhancement, and proactive use of PDMPs to support clinical decision making and prevent the abuse and diversion of controlled substances. Grantees are prohibited from using federal funds to support activities that violate the Controlled Substances Act.

The objective of Category 1 is to encourage and support the development of comprehensive, locally driven responses to the opioid epidemic that expand access to supervision, treatment, and recovery support services across the criminal justice system; support law enforcement and other first responder diversion programs for non-violent drug offenders; promote education and prevention activities; and address the needs of children impacted by the opioid epidemic. All projects are expected to involve multiple agencies and partners.

The Houston Health Department (HHD) will partner with the Houston Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the Houston Forensic Sciences Center (HFSC), and the Houston Police (HPD) to implement the Drug Overdose and Misuse Alert System (DOMAS) project to fill the current gap in access to real-time data to address opiate overdose and misuse in Houston. The objectives are to implement ODMAP using EMS data for real-time alerts and mapping for overdoses with notifications to law enforcement, public health, health care providers and the public; provide situational awareness of prescribing patterns for opioids/other drugs and actual overdose sites at the zip code level by analysis of Texas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) data; and enhance awareness of street drugs among stakeholders through cooperation with the HFSC, to provide timely local analysis of seized drugs, especially opioids.

CA/NCF