Overdose Fatality Review

New Mexico is launching its first statewide Overdose Fatality Review (OFR), funded through opioid settlement dollars and built on lessons from a successful 2021 pilot. The OFR is grounded in national fatality review models, which are being adapted to reflect New Mexico’s population, history, and unique community needs. The goal of the OFR is to strengthen shared understanding across agencies, identify system gaps, and generate actionable, statewide recommendations to prevent overdose deaths.

The OFR convenes a multidisciplinary, invitation-only panel that meets twice each quarter to review de-identified overdose cases in confidential, non-public meetings, with case support from the Office of the Medical Investigator. Cases are selected to reflect diverse regions, populations, and circumstances contributing to overdose deaths in New Mexico.

Panelists are chosen to ensure broad representation across the overdose response system, including behavioral health, harm reduction, treatment providers, primary substance use preventionists, corrections, probation and parole, housing, and social services, tribal governments, law enforcement, courts, people with lived experience, and subject-matter experts. All panelists receive training on data sources, case context, and how to develop feasible, systems-level recommendations.

The OFR is a protected learning process. It does not assign blame, determine liability, or investigate individual or agency performance. All shared information is confidential and used solely for prevention purposes. Insights from the OFR support statewide and community-level strategies that improve coordination, strengthen care pathways, and reduce overdose deaths across New Mexico.

Each OFR meeting is evaluated to ensure the process is meeting its goals, including improving cross-agency understanding, identifying prevention opportunities, and producing actionable recommendations. Statewide recommendations will be shared publicly to promote transparency and support community engagement.

For more information about the OFR or to inquire about agency participation, please contact the New Mexico Department of Health Overdose Fatality Review team at DOH-OverdoseFatalityReview@state.nm.us