Connecticut State Department of Public Health

CT Statewide Opioid Reporting Directive (SWORD)

The Connecticut Department of Public Health Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS), in collaboration with the Connecticut Poison Control Center (CPCC) at UCONN Health, and pursuant to Public Act No. 18-166, Sec. 5 have enacted a real time reporting mechanism for Opioid Overdoses in the State through Emergency Medical Services called the CT EMS Statewide Opioid Reporting Directive (SWORD).   All CT certified and licensed EMS organizations and providers are now reporting to the CPCC after any call where the patient is suspected of opioid use causing decreased responsiveness, respiratory depression or death, whether or not naloxone was administered.

The project was rolled-out in two phases by DEMHS Region with OEMS Communication Statement 19-03 beginning with Region 3 reporting by April 1, 2019, followed by all other Regions (1, 2, 4 and 5) reporting on or before June 1, 2019.

Prior to the roll-out, EMS providers were encouraged to register on the CT Train website to access a companion educational component which can be found here: CT Train #1083473 (Note:  Please use IE or Firefox browsers only).  Additionally, pocket reference cards and posters (See below) were made available in all hospital EMS rooms and to all services which contain the relevant details about the reporting process.

*Public Act No. 18-166 AN ACT CONCERNING THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF OPIOID DEPENDENCY AND OPIOID OVERDOSES IN THE STATE. Sec. 5. (a) On and after January 1, 2019, any hospital licensed pursuant to Chapter 368v of the general statutes or emergency medical services personnel, as defined in Section 20-206jj of the general statutes, that treats a patient for an overdose of an opioid drug, as defined in Section 20-14o of the general statutes, shall report such overdose to the Department of Public Health in a form and manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health.

Please contact Stacey Durante with questions or for more information regarding the SWORD Program.  If you need to report an opioid overdose, please call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.

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