In July, the Washington Post published an investigative series looking at how opioid pills were distributed nationwide between 2006 and 2012, when the opioid crisis became an epidemic. After the Post made its data available for public download, the Reading Eagle analyzed the statistics for Pennsylvania and Berks County.
The findings allowed us to take an in-depth look at the genesis of the opioid crisis and see how doctors, pharmacist groups and people in the recovery industry responded. But the sheer volume of opioids that were made available is also telling.
Below are the 15 counties that received the most total pills over the seven-year stretch from 2006 to 2012, in descending order by total number of pills. Berks County ranked 13th on the list, but it had the largest percentage increase of any county in the top 15. The number of pills in Berks more than doubled from 2006 to 2012.
1. Philadelphia
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 394,047,551
2006 population: 1,488,710
2006 total pills: 42,155,735
Pills per person, 2006: 28.32
2006 drug-related deaths: 433
2012 population: 1,547,607
2012 total pills: 68,378,060
Pills per person, 2012: 44.18
2012 drug-related deaths: 460
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 62.2%
2. Allegheny County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 338,716,253
2006 Population: 1,226,025
2006 Total Pills: 40,283,842
Pills per person, 2006: 32.86
2006 drug-related deaths: 140
2012 Population: 1,229,338
2012 Total Pills: 51,502,170
Pills per person, 2012: 41.89
2012 drug-related deaths: 280
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 27.85
3. Montgomery County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 193,652,578
2006 Population: 781,519
2006 Total Pills: 22,347,700
Pills per person, 2006: 28.60
2006 drug-related deaths: 112
2012 Population: 808,460
2012 Total Pills: 28,387,691
Pills per person, 2012: 35.11
2012 Deaths: 136
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 27.03
4. Bucks County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 165,738,591
2006 Population: 619,544
2006 Total Pills: 16,799,404
Pills per person, 2006: 27.12
2006 drug-related deaths: 102
2012 Population: 627,053
2012 Total Pills: 28,144,037
Pills per person, 2012: 44.88
2012 drug-related deaths: 113
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 67.53
5. Delaware County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 164,134,934
2006 Population: 553,806
2006 Total Pills: 17,360,460
Pills per person, 2006: 31.35
2006 drug-related deaths: 107
2012 Population: 561,098
2012 Total Pills: 27,893,450
Pills per person, 2012: 49.71
2012 drug-related deaths: 150
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 60.67
6. Lancaster County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 101,334,233
2006 Population: 500,922
2006 Total Pills: 10,259,710
Pills per person, 2006: 20.48
2006 drug-related deaths: 30
2012 Population: 526,823
2012 Total Pills: 17,590,710
Pills per person, 2012: 33.39
2012 drug-related deaths: 58
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 71.45
7. Westmoreland County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 99,918,295
2006 Population: 366,559
2006 Total Pills: 10,318,280
Pills per person, 2006: 28.15
2006 drug-related deaths: 48
2012 Population: 363,395
2012 Total Pills: 16,528,060
Pills per person, 2012: 45.48
2012 drug-related deaths: 106
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 60.18
8. Luzerne County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 91,137,991
2006 Population: 316,837
2006 Total Pills: 9,800,690
Pills per person, 2006: 30.93
2006 drug-related deaths: 40
2012 Population: 321,027
2012 Total Pills: 15,457,060
Pills per person, 2012: 48.15
2012 drug-related deaths: 60
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 57.71
9. York County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 81,408,034
2006 Population: 418,043
2006 Total Pills: 8,697,495
Pills per person, 2006: 20.81
2006 drug-related deaths: 38
2012 Population: 437,846
2012 Total Pills: 14,164,050
Pills per person, 2012: 32.35
2012 drug-related deaths: 73
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 62.85
10. Lackawanna County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 79,029,884
2006 Population: 212,595
2006 Total Pills: 8,413,380
Pills per person, 2006: 39.57
2006 drug-related deaths: 29
2012 Population: 214,477
2012 Total Pills: 13,788,890
Pills per person, 2012: 64.29
2012 drug-related deaths: 56
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 63.89
11. Erie County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 76,283,755
2006 Population: 278,389
2006 Total Pills: 7,694,275
Pills per person, 2006: 27.64
2006 drug-related deaths: 29
2012 Population: 280,646
2012 Total Pills: 13,645,030
Pills per person, 2012: 48.62
2012 drug-related deaths: 52
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 77.34
12. Chester County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 75,463,660
2006 Population: 479,137
2006 Total Pills: 8,065,026
Pills per person, 2006: 16.83
2006 drug-related deaths: 38
2012 Population: 506,575
2012 Total Pills: 13,061,415
Pills per person, 2012: 25.78
2012 drug-related deaths: 60
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 61.95
13. Berks County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 63,544,363
2006 Population: 401,834
2006 Total Pills: 5,916,323
Pills per person, 2006: 14.72
2006 drug-related deaths: 31
2012 Population: 413,491
2012 Total Pills: 11,970,415
Pills per person, 2012: 28.95
2012 drug-related deaths: 53
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 102.33
14. Cambria County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 62,327,100
2006 Population: 146,093
2006 Total Pills: 6,050,380
Pills per person, 2006: 41.41
2006 drug-related deaths: 31
2012 Population: 141,584
2012 Total Pills: 11,492,670
Pills per person, 2012: 81.17
2012 drug-related deaths: 31
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 89.95
15. Dauphin County
Total pills distributed, 2006-12: 60,434,058
2006 Population: 260,312
2006 Total Pills: 5,812,691
Pills per person, 2006: 22.33
2006 drug-related deaths: 22
2012 Population: 269,665
2012 Total Pills: 11,067,449
Pills per person, 2012: 41.04
2012 drug-related deaths: 35
Percent change in total pills, 2006-2012: 90.4