PHAST and OFR

What is OFR?

An overdose fatality review (OFR) is a confidential review of overdose death cases in a jurisdiction. The process involves using aggregate and case-level data to develop a timeline leading up to each fatal overdose for the purpose of developing recommendations for prevention.

“Regardless of which comes first, a PHAST and OFR team go hand-in-hand. Ideally one does not exist without the other.”

How do the two approaches complement one another?

The same guiding principles and processes apply to both an OFR team and a PHAST. As a result, jurisdictions conducting OFRs should consider using the PHAST framework to guide their process. Any jurisdiction implementing the PHAST framework should also consider developing an OFR team for a greater understanding of the local crisis, system-level factors that contribute to fatal overdoses, and opportunities for prevention.