Oxycodone pills are pictured in New York in August of 2018.
Mark Lennihan
Associated Press
Prescriptions for opioid pain medications have come down in Stanislaus County from alarming rates 10 years ago.
But the rates are consistently higher than in other counties in California. The local Opioid Safety Coalition asked a state agency for data and the numbers showed the Stanislaus prescribing rate is above all other counties.
“That is scary we are the highest in the state,” said Jennifer Marsh, who coordinates the coalition’s monthly meetings. “Maybe it’s something we need to look at as a coalition.”
The group is made up of representatives from county government, education, health care, criminal justice, nonprofit groups and family members who lost loved ones to overdose or illegal fentanyl poisoning deaths.
The Modesto Bee reported that 527,832 prescriptions for opioid painkillers were written in the county in 2017, almost enough for every man, woman and child.
The county’s prescribing rate has remained high, while rates have been reduced in other jurisdictions. The California opioid surveillance dashboard shows 253,200 prescriptions were written in this county in 2025, for a rate of 434 per 1,000 residents, almost twice the statewide rate.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has data. Stanislaus County’s opioid prescription rate was 44.7 per 100 in 2024, well above the national rate of 35.4 per 100. The national rate has fallen from 46.8 in 2019.
As for nearby counties, San Joaquin’s rate was 17.3 per 100 in 2024. Merced’s was 18.8. Prescribing in Tuolumne County was high at 44.1 per 100, according to the CDC.
The drug fatality crisis that’s created alarm in recent years has been caused by illegal fentanyl, a synthetic opioid sold on the streets or online. Today, drug-related deaths are averaging two to three per week in Stanislaus County, but sometimes jump to three to four per week.
The CDC warns that use of prescription opioids for a prolonged period may lead to addiction, overdose and death. A high level of prescribing results in patients becoming addicted to narcotic meds for pain, losing their ability to obtain the drugs and resorting to dangerous street drugs.
The California Department of Public Health has suggested in education campaigns that patients ask their doctors about safe pain management. The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine states that opioids are effective for short-term pain management and pain related to cancer and terminal illness, but long-term use creates greater health risks.
A 2025 report by the American Medical Association said that many patients encounter barriers to non-opioid treatments for pain because of insurance restrictions. Experts don’t see easy solutions for containing the opioid epidemic and its harmful effects.
Drug overdose follow-up could improve
At the Oct. 8 meeting, Stanislaus coalition members also heard about follow-up support for people who visit local hospital emergency departments for overdoses or substance use.
Out of 1,916 ED visits, 23% of patients received follow-up within 7 days, including health services or attempts to connect them with a substance use treatment program, while 34.5% or 314 individuals received follow-up within 30 days. Some improvements are needed to reach the national average of 39%.
Patients with symptoms of mental illness received follow-up support more often — 44.3% within seven days and 57.3% within 30 days.
The local coalition responded to the illegal fentanyl crisis with awareness events, education activities in schools, a Not My Child 5K walk or run, Narcan distribution and a hard-to-miss empty-chair display at Vintage Faire Mall. Specific ideas for addressing the high opioid prescribing rate are forthcoming.
Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services has information about substance use treatment options.
This story was originally published October 23, 2026 at 11:47 AM.
Follow More of Our Reporting on Modesto Bee’s Reality Check
Related Stories from Modesto Bee
The Modesto Bee
Ken Carlson covers county government and health care for The Modesto Bee. His coverage of public health, medicine, consumer health issues and the business of health care has appeared in The Bee for 15 years.