From FY1516-FY2425, there were 47,094 admissions to publicly funded substance use disorder treatment programs in Los Angeles County (LAC) that listed prescription opioids as the primary drug problem. In FY2425, 6,184 unique clients accounting for 9,478 primary prescription opioid admissions were served.
The number of primary prescription opioid treatment admissions to LAC publicly funded SUD treatment programs increased by 376% from FY1819 to FY2425 (Figure 1).
Primary prescription opioid admissions were highest among those aged 26-34, then decreased with age (Figure 2). In FY2425, clients aged 26-34 accounted for 33%, and clients aged 35-44 accounted for 25% of primary prescription opioid admissions.
Starting in FY1819, primary prescription opioid admissions increased for all age groups. The increases were especially pronounced among those aged 18-25, 26-34, and 35-44 which increased by 805%, by 471%, and by 453%, respectively. From FY2324 to FY2425, primary prescription opioid admissions for youth aged 12-17 and young adults aged 18-25 decreased, while all older age groups continued increasing trends (Figure 3).
From FY1516-FY2425 in LAC, males accounted for 62% of primary Rx opioid treatment admissions to publicly funded treatment programs (Figure 4). In FY1718, the gender distribution was nearly equal between male and female clients with a primary prescription opioid problem. Since then, the gender gap grew, remaining at about two thirds male from FY2223 through FY2425.
From FY1516-FY2425, Whites (48%) accounted for the largest proportion of primary prescription opioid admissions, followed by Hispanic/Latinos (38%), and Blacks (10%) (Figure 6).
From FY1819 to FY2425, the number of primary prescription opioid admissions increased for all race/ethnic groups, particularly for Hispanic/Latinos (by 622%) and Whites (by 331%) (Figure 7).
From FY1516-FY2425, there were 134,726 admissions to publicly funded substance use disorder treatment programs in LAC that listed heroin as the primary drug problem. In FY2425, 5,343 unique clients accounting for 6,418 primary heroin admissions were served.
Primary heroin treatment admissions decreased 61% from FY1718 to FY2425 (Figure 8).
From FY1516-FY2425, the number of primary heroin admissions was highest for those aged 26-34 years (Figure 9).
Primary heroin admissions have been on a decreasing trend for all age groups since FY1718 (Figure 10).
Males accounted for 70% of primary heroin treatment admissions to publicly funded treatment programs from FY1516-FY2425 (Figure 11).
The gender distribution for primary heroin treatment admissions remained stable over the last decade (Figure 12).
From FY1516-FY2425, Whites accounted for 47% of primary heroin admissions in LAC, followed by Hispanic/Latinos (42%), and Blacks (7%) (Figure 13).
The number of primary heroin admissions decreased from FY1718 to FY2425 for all race/ethnic groups (Figure 14). While the proportion of all primary heroin admissions for Hispanic/Latinos increased from 39% to 51%, that for Whites decreased from 50% to 41%
Using FDA-approved medications to complement behavioral therapy can be more effective than using either treatment method alone for treating opioid use disorders. However, the availability of MAT has been historically limited by several factors, some of which include a shortage of qualified prescribers, a lack of knowledge about these options by patients and health professionals, cultural resistance to the use of MAT, as well as financial and regulatory challenges.
In California and Los Angeles County, the rate of prescriptions for buprenorphine, a medication that can be used in MAT for opioid use disorders, increased from 2011 to 2013, then plateaued and began to decrease through 2020 before increasing after 2021 (Figure 15).
Primary prescription opioid treatment admissions that were prescribed medications as part of their treatment plan at admission in LAC decreased from 73% to 62% over the past 5 years (Figure 16).
Primary heroin treatment admissions that were prescribed medications as part of their treatment plan at admission in LAC increased from 72% in FY1819 to 81% in FY2122, and has since remained stable at around 80% (Figure 17).
Figures 1-14, 16-17 Los Angeles County Participant Reporting System data. Substance Abuse Prevention and Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Figure 15. California Department of Public Health (CDPH). California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard. Accessed from https://skylab.cdph.ca.gov/ODdash/ on February 19, 2025.