Welcome to the Utah overdose surveillance dashboard

* NOTE: The drug and opioid overdose death `Not to exceed` values are taken to be the previous year's value - 10%.

About the Utah overdose surveillance dashboard

The Utah Public Overdose Dashboard (UPOD) is an interactive visual presentation of indicators tracking overdose data in Utah.

Public health indicators are metrics used to track the health status of a population. The intent of the UPOD is to provide actionable data related to the drug overdose epidemic.

The dashboard provides an overview of current data for opioid-related indicators and compares them with data from previous time periods to inform drug overdose prevention efforts. Indicators are geographically represented by counties and local health districts (LHDs).

What's here

Interactive visualizations are presented on the remaining pages of this dashboard, accessible from the navigation links at the top of the site.

  • Prescriptions | 5-year summaries of opioid prescriptions dispensed, numbers of patients prescribed opioids, and opioids morphine milligram equivalents (MME) dispensed to hospital patients.
  • Drug overdose | 5-year summaries of overdose fatalities and related information through time and by geographic areas.
  • About program | OD2A program information and Links to additional related resources.
How to to use the Utah overdose surveillance dashboard

The UPOD main dashboard page displays three drug overdose summary indicators at the top of the page. Additional data views are located on additional pages, accessed from the menu at the top of the dashboard.

The summary indicators provide a quick look at drug overdose, opioid overdose, and opioid prescription data for the state of Utah for the last 5 years. The three counts presented for each opioid summary indicator represent the current year to date, while the charts summarize the last 5 years.

Additional views with more detail, are presented on their respective pages, are interactive and can be filtered. To navigate back to the home overdose dashboard page from any of the more detailed pages, click on the Home button in the menu at the top.

Why is drug overdose and prescription data important?

Drug poisoning deaths are a preventable public health problem; they are the leading cause of injury death in Utah, outpacing deaths due to firearms, falls, and motor vehicle crashes.

Ten Utahns die each week from drug overdose. Utah is particularly affected by illicit opioids, specifically fentanyl, and methamphetamine which are responsible for nearly half of the unintentional and undetermined drug poisoning deaths in the state.

Utah's drug overdose death rate increased significantly from 2000 to 2015 and has remained at peak levels since. Methamphetamine surpassed fentanyl in 2024 as the most commonly involved drug in overdoses. While prescription opioid overdoses have been higher in the past, deaths from prescription opioids continue to trend downward.

Data sources

The following partners generously supply the data used for and presented within this website:

  1. Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Medical Examiner

  2. Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Health Information and Analysis Program

  3. Utah Department of Commerce, Division of Professional Licensing

  4. Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Violence and Injury Prevention Program

  5. Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Vital Records and Statistics

  6. Utah Naloxone Organization

Data dictionary Principles for use of opioid surveillance data Framework for people who use substances

Suggested citation:

Utah Overdose Surveillance Dashboard. Prepared by Utah Department of Health and Human Services | Overdose to Action (OD2A) program. Accessed on 2025-10-22 . https://dhhs.utah.gov/health-dashboards/opioid-data/

Prescriptions dispensed

This indicator includes select dispensed prescription opioids entered into the state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, or PDMP. PDMPs are a promising, state-level intervention used to decrease opioid overprescribing, inform licensed clinicians, and protect patients from harm.

The Utah Controlled Substance Database (CSD) Utah's PDMP, was legislatively created and put into effect on July 1, 1995. The CSD collects data on the dispensing of Schedule II-V drugs from all retail, institutional, and outpatient hospital pharmacies, and in-state/out-of-state mail order pharmacies.

Why is the CSD important?

  • Provides statewide data: The CSD collects data from all Utah retail, institutional, and mail-order pharmacies to create a comprehensive, statewide record of controlled substance dispensing.
  • Supports safe opioid prescribing: Utah law requires providers to check the database before prescribing a Schedule II or III opioid for the first time. This aligns with statewide opioid prescribing guidelines.
  • Helps manage addiction: By tracking use patterns, the database assists in identifying patients who may be struggling with addiction and directs them toward intervention or treatment.
  • Combats the opioid epidemic: The CSD helps state officials, including the Controlled Substance Advisory Committee (CSAC) and Poison Control Center, monitor and respond to patterns of substance misuse.

Interactive charts and maps are presented below, presenting temporal trends and geographical distribution of 5 years of CSD precriptions dispensed data for Utah.

* NOTE: Opioid prescription counts can take up to 1 month to be finalized. As a result, precription counts shown for the most recent 1 month should not be considered complete.

The plots below are configurable using the associated interactive tools below.

To preserve privacy for Utah citizens, as required by law, small numbers (<11) on these plots are drawn at 11, though the real number may be between 1-11. Actual zeroes are plotted at zero.

Dispensed prescription data for controlled substances can be reported or corrected after the drug was dispensed. Therefore, the historic prescription data is subject to subsequent updating.

The most recent CDC milligrams of morphine equivalent (MME) file was used to identify select opioids in PDMP data.

Configure plots tools

The maps below present LHD area maps of opioid prescriptions dispensed for the last 5 years.

The map is configurable using the associated interactive tools. The analysis was performed by calculating the prescription rate (prescriptions per 100,000 residents) for each LHD and comparing it to the statewide rate for the selected year.

To preserve privacy for Utah citizens, as required by law, small prescriptions counts in a region (<11) have been omitted from the analysis.

Numbers of patients prescribed opioids


                        

                        

                        

                         See Description Tab for the description of the chart
                      

                    

                  

                  

                    
Description

                    
The chart shows the weekly numbers or ratios of the selected subset of the patients with prescribed opioid drugs. Saturday is used as the last day of the week.


Weekly patient numbers or ratios


    

  • Select county or local health department (LHD) from the dropdown menu.
    • 

  • Select age group from the dropdown menu.
    • 

  • Select gender by using radio select buttons.
    • 

  • Use MME value slider to show patients’ consumed opioid having the MME value equal or more than the indicated value on the slider. The default number shows the patients’ estimated consumed opioid with MME 90 or more.
    • 

  • Select to show the number of selected subset or the ratio to whole Utah or the ratio selected whole county or LHD.


        * Point with a star * indicate the patient number is between 1 and 10.
    • 



Number or ratio


Number: Total numbers of the selected patients. 

Ratio to All Utah: Ratio of the selected subset to the total value in Utah. 

Ratio to County or LHD: Ratio of the selected subset to the total value in the selected county or the selected local health department. 



                      *  Go to the chart
                  

                

              

            

          

        

        

          

            
Opioids MME dispensed to patients

            

          

          

            

              

                
                

                  

                    

                      

                        
                      

                      

                        
                        

                        

                        

                        

                        

                         See Description Tab for the description of the chart
                      

                    

                  

                  

                    
Description

                    
The chart shows the weekly MME values or ratios of the sold and estimated consumed prescribed opioids. Saturday is used as the last day of the week. 


    

  • Select county or local health department (LHD) from the dropdown menu.
    • 

  • Select age group from the dropdown menu.
    • 

  • Select gender by using radio select buttons.
    • 

  • Select to show the number of selected subset or the ratio to whole Utah or the ratio selected whole county or LHD.
    • 



Weekly opioid MME values


    

  • Weekly sold opioid MME values: Purple symbol and line.
    • 

  • Weekly estimated consumed opioid MME values: Blue symbol and line.
    • 



* Point with a star * indicates the MME value of the point is between 0 and 100 MME (Number) or 0 and 10% (Ratio)


Weekly sold opioid MME values are based on the sold date, that patients received the opioid. 

Weekly estimated consumed opioid MME values are based on estimate at patient took the opioid drug accourding to supply days on the prescriptions. e.g. if sold opioid on June 1st with total MME value of 100 and supply days for 5 days, then the estimated consumed opioid MME values for June 1st - June 5th will be 20 every day. 


Ratio of weekly opioid MME values


    

  • Percent of the Weekly sold opioid MME values: Purple symbol and line.
    • 

  • Percent of the Weekly estimated consumed opioid MME values: Blue symbol and line.
    • 



Number: Total weekly MME values of the selected patients. 

Ratio to All Utah: Ratio of the selected subset to the total value in Utah. 

Ratio to County or LHD: Ratio of the selected subset to the total value in the selected county or the selected local health department. 



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Overdose fatalities

            

          

          

            
This page contains summary visualizations for 
                drug and opioid overdose deaths. 
                Fatalities concerning any drug (All Drugs), and opioid drugs
                specifically (Opioid) are shown.

            
Drug and opioid fatalities are presented on the two tabs below:

            
    
              
  • 
                Overdose fatalities charts
                Time-series charts depict monthly total overdose and opioid 
                    fatalities for the last five years.
              
    • 
              
  • 
                Overdose fatalities maps
                Interactive map depicts annual comparison of drug or opioid
                    fatality rates by LHD or County, compared to the Statewide rate
                    for the selected year.
              
    • 
            

            

              
                * NOTE:
                Overdose fatalities can take up to 4 
            months to be certified. As a result, overdose counts shown 
            for the most recent 4 months should not be considered complete.
              
            

          

          

            

              
              

                

                  

                    
                      
                      

                        

                          
                          

                        

                      

                    
                    

                      
The plots below present time series plots for
                            drug and opioid overdose fatalities for the last 5 years.

                      
The plots below are configurable using the associated 
                                interactive tools below. Confirming and certifying toxicology 
                                results can take up to 4 months. Values shown for
                                the most-recent four months are depicted inside 
                                a grey box, and likely under-represent the true value.
                                This time lag for death certification also creates 
                                a false downward slope within the grey box.
                                Keep this in mind when reviewing these plots.

                      
To preserve privacy for Utah citizens, as required by law,
                                small numbers (<11) on these plots are drawn at 11, though the
                                real number may be between 1-11. Actual zeroes are plotted at zero.

                      

                        
                          https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/pdf/resource/DataSuppressionSummary.pdf
                        
                      

                    

                  

                  
Drug and opioid overdoses through time

                  

                  

                    
Configure plots tools

                    

                  

                

                

                  

                    
                      
                      

                        

                          
                          

                        

                      

                    
                    

                      
The maps below present county and LHD area
                                maps of drug and opioid overdose fatalities for the last 5 years.

                      
The map is configurable using the associated interactive tools. 
                                The analysis was performed by calculating the overdose rate
                                (cases per 100,000 residents) for each region and comparing 
                                it to the statewide rate for the selected year.

                      

                        To preserve privacy for Utah citizens, as required by law,
                                    small overdose counts in a region (<11) have been omitted from the analysis.
                      

                    

                    

                      

                        

                          

                        

                        

                          

                            

                              
                            

                            

                              

                            

                          

                        

                        
                      

                    

                  

                

              

            

          

        

        

          
Resources and contact information

          
This page contains links to more programs and information about 
          Utah's drug and opioid programs.

          
Drug poisoning deaths are a preventable public health problem; they 
          are the leading cause of injury death in Utah, outpacing deaths due 
          to firearms, falls, and motor vehicle crashes. Ten Utahns die each 
          week from drug overdose. Utah is particularly affected by illicit 
          opioids, specifically fentanyl, which is responsible for 33% of the 
          unintentional and undetermined drug poisoning deaths in the state.

          

            

              
State and federal opioid and drug-related organizations

              

            

            

              
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