SevenMaps // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Washington County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 32.9 per 100 people
--- 42.2% lower than state average
--- 24.0% lower than national average
Counties where the most opioids are dispensed in Indiana
When Purdue Pharma first began sales of OxyContin in the late 1990s, it was advertised as relief for cancer patients and people with chronic pain. Aggressive marketing fueled the drug's popularity, along with that of other opioid pain management drugs on the market. But as the company touted OxyContin to physicians, it downplayed the drug's addictiveness, according to confidential Justice Department reports obtained by news organizations, leading to widespread use that has fueled an opioid epidemic across the U.S.
More than 645,000 people have died from opioid-related overdoses between 1999 and 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Provisional data shows just under 80,000 people died in 2022 alone.
Opioid prescriptions have decreased dramatically over the past decade as physicians and public health officials learned about the dangers of OxyContin and other opioids prescribed for pain management. In 2020, the most recent year with data available, the national opioid dispense rate reached 43.3 per 100 people, the lowest rate ever recorded.
A 2022 study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that counties with higher dispensing rates had more cases of opioid misuse and dependence. The study suggested that reducing prescriptions at the local level can lower a community's rate of opioid abuse or misuse.
Other studies, however, have suggested that decreasing prescriptions may have fueled a new phase of the opioid epidemic: the rise of synthetics like fentanyl. In 2020, synthetics accounted for 82% of all opioid deaths.
It's also important to note that, as awareness has grown about the dangers of dispensing opioid prescription painkillers, more health care professionals are also prescribing medications like Suboxone–which contains buprenorphine and naloxone—for the treatment of addiction and opioid use disorders. While Suboxone is also an opioid medication, it works differently than typical opioid painkillers, blocking the effects of more powerful and addictive opioids to deter intentional misuse.
Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ophelia broke down counties in every state with the highest opioid dispense rates. In the case of a tie, the county with the higher population and higher raw number is ranked higher. Data was available for 98% of counties in the United States. Overall in Indiana, the opioid dispensing rate was 56.9 per 100 people, compared to 43.3 nationally.
Read the national story for additional historical context and see where other counties outside of Indiana stand.
Canva
2 / 50#49. Fulton County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 34.3 per 100 people
--- 39.7% lower than state average
--- 20.8% lower than national average
Kenneth Keifer // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Lawrence County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 34.7 per 100 people
--- 39.0% lower than state average
--- 19.9% lower than national average
Canva
4 / 50#47. Grant County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 34.8 per 100 people
--- 38.8% lower than state average
--- 19.6% lower than national average
RozenskiP // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Ripley County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 35.3 per 100 people
--- 38.0% lower than state average
--- 18.5% lower than national average
Canva
6 / 50#45. Gibson County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 35.9 per 100 people
--- 36.9% lower than state average
--- 17.1% lower than national average
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Greene County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 37.1 per 100 people
--- 34.8% lower than state average
--- 14.3% lower than national average
Canva
8 / 50#43. Parke County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 38.5 per 100 people
--- 32.3% lower than state average
--- 11.1% lower than national average
Tom Reichner // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Pike County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 38.8 per 100 people
--- 31.8% lower than state average
--- 10.4% lower than national average
Canva
10 / 50#41. Boone County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 39.9 per 100 people
--- 29.9% lower than state average
--- 7.9% lower than national average
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Morgan County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 39.9 per 100 people
--- 29.9% lower than state average
--- 7.9% lower than national average
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Wells County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 40.0 per 100 people
--- 29.7% lower than state average
--- 7.6% lower than national average
Canva
13 / 50#38. Elkhart County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 41.2 per 100 people
--- 27.6% lower than state average
--- 4.8% lower than national average
Canva
14 / 50#37. Hamilton County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 41.5 per 100 people
--- 27.1% lower than state average
--- 4.2% lower than national average
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Hendricks County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 41.9 per 100 people
--- 26.4% lower than state average
--- 3.2% lower than national average
Canva
16 / 50#35. Decatur County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 42.8 per 100 people
--- 24.8% lower than state average
--- 1.2% lower than national average
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Henry County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 46.3 per 100 people
--- 18.6% lower than state average
--- 6.9% higher than national average
Lost Shoe Studios // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Martin County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 46.9 per 100 people
--- 17.6% lower than state average
--- 8.3% higher than national average
Canva
19 / 50#32. Posey County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 49.5 per 100 people
--- 13.0% lower than state average
--- 14.3% higher than national average
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Starke County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 51.7 per 100 people
--- 9.1% lower than state average
--- 19.4% higher than national average
Canva
21 / 50#30. Bartholomew County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 52.1 per 100 people
--- 8.4% lower than state average
--- 20.3% higher than national average
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Sullivan County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 52.2 per 100 people
--- 8.3% lower than state average
--- 20.6% higher than national average
Canva
23 / 50#28. La Porte County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 52.9 per 100 people
--- 7.0% lower than state average
--- 22.2% higher than national average
Canva
24 / 50#27. Porter County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 53.0 per 100 people
--- 6.9% lower than state average
--- 22.4% higher than national average
Gaston Piccinetti // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Ohio County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 53.3 per 100 people
--- 6.3% lower than state average
--- 23.1% higher than national average
Canva
26 / 50#25. Randolph County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 54.2 per 100 people
--- 4.7% lower than state average
--- 25.2% higher than national average
Canva
27 / 50#24. Tippecanoe County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 56.2 per 100 people
--- 1.2% lower than state average
--- 29.8% higher than national average
Canva
28 / 50#23. Jackson County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 59.5 per 100 people
--- 4.6% higher than state average
--- 37.4% higher than national average
Canva
29 / 50#22. Madison County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 60.0 per 100 people
--- 5.4% higher than state average
--- 38.6% higher than national average
Melinda Fawver // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Harrison County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 60.2 per 100 people
--- 5.8% higher than state average
--- 39.0% higher than national average
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Dubois County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 61.3 per 100 people
--- 7.7% higher than state average
--- 41.6% higher than national average
Canva
32 / 50#19. Monroe County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 61.5 per 100 people
--- 8.1% higher than state average
--- 42.0% higher than national average
Canva
33 / 50#18. Jefferson County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 61.9 per 100 people
--- 8.8% higher than state average
--- 43.0% higher than national average
Canva
34 / 50#17. Lake County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 62.0 per 100 people
--- 9.0% higher than state average
--- 43.2% higher than national average
Canva
35 / 50#16. Warrick County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 63.6 per 100 people
--- 11.8% higher than state average
--- 46.9% higher than national average
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Johnson County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 67.0 per 100 people
--- 17.8% higher than state average
--- 54.7% higher than national average
Canva
37 / 50#14. Saint Joseph County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 67.1 per 100 people
--- 17.9% higher than state average
--- 55.0% higher than national average
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Marion County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 67.2 per 100 people
--- 18.1% higher than state average
--- 55.2% higher than national average
Canva
39 / 50#12. Howard County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 70.3 per 100 people
--- 23.6% higher than state average
--- 62.4% higher than national average
Canva
40 / 50#11. Jasper County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 71.7 per 100 people
--- 26.0% higher than state average
--- 65.6% higher than national average
Wirestock Creators // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Dearborn County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 73.7 per 100 people
--- 29.5% higher than state average
--- 70.2% higher than national average
Canva
42 / 50#9. Wayne County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 74.7 per 100 people
--- 31.3% higher than state average
--- 72.5% higher than national average
Canva
43 / 50#8. Clark County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 80.3 per 100 people
--- 41.1% higher than state average
--- 85.5% higher than national average
Canva
44 / 50#7. Allen County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 80.6 per 100 people
--- 41.7% higher than state average
--- 86.1% higher than national average
Canva
45 / 50#6. Vigo County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 81.3 per 100 people
--- 42.9% higher than state average
--- 87.8% higher than national average
Roberto Galan // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Delaware County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 83.1 per 100 people
--- 46.0% higher than state average
--- 91.9% higher than national average
Canva
47 / 50#4. Knox County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 98.5 per 100 people
--- 73.1% higher than state average
--- 127.5% higher than national average
Canva
48 / 50#3. Floyd County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 119.2 per 100 people
--- 109.5% higher than state average
--- 175.3% higher than national average
Canva
49 / 50#2. Vanderburgh County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 146.1 per 100 people
--- 156.8% higher than state average
--- 237.4% higher than national average
shutter_breaker // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Scott County
- Opioid dispensing rate: 147.1 per 100 people
--- 158.5% higher than state average
--- 239.7% higher than national average
