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.
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 Katharine Hickcox 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.
SWORD Education
CT OEMS SWORD Training Course
New course under construction. Please check back later.
SWORD Newsletters
2021
- SWORD September 2021 Newsletter
- SWORD August 2021 Newsletter
- SWORD July 2021 Newsletter
- SWORD June 2021 Newsletter
- SWORD May 2021 Newsletter
- SWORD April 2021 Newsletter
- SWORD March 2021 Newsletter
- SWORD February 2021 Newsletter
- SWORD January 2021 Newsletter
2020
- SWORD December 2020 Newsletter
- SWORD November 2020 Newsletter
- SWORD October 2020 Newsletter
- SWORD September 2020 Newsletter
- SWORD August 2020 Newsletter
- SWORD July 2020 Newsletter
- SWORD June 2020 Newsletter
- SWORD May 2020 Newsletter
- SWORD April 2020 Newsletter
- SWORD March 2020 Newsletter
- SWORD February 2020 Newsletter
- SWORD January 2020 Newsletter
2019
- SWORD December 2019 Newsletter
- SWORD November 2019 Newsletter
- SWORD October 2019 Newsletter
- SWORD September 2019 Newsletter
- SWORD August 2019 Newsletter
- SWORD July 2019 Newsletter
- SWORD June 2019 Newsletter
SWORD Reports
- SWORD Annual Report (June 2019 - May 2020)
- SWORD June - December 2019 Data Summary
SWORD Downloads
Additional Opioid Downloads
HIPAA Information
- 2019 HIPAA Letter from CDC
- HIPAA and CT EMS SWORD
- ODMAP and Protected Health Information Under HIPAA: Guidance Document
ODMAP Information
Please Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed in order to view and print the Portable Document Format (pdf) files.
