In 2021 over 5,000 Texans died of drug overdoses, many of them attributable to opioids. To better track and respond to overdoses, fatal and non-fatal, researchers at the University of Texas implemented an anonymous online database, TxCOPE, by which anyone can report an overdose without fear of legal repercussions. People who may be more likely to report an overdose using this innovative platform include people who use drugs, outreach workers, family or friends, or witnesses of the overdose in the community. They can indicate the date, time, and place, what drugs were involved, whether naloxone was administered, and whether emergency services were notified. Such information, protected by a Federal confidentiality agreement, is crucial for targeting timely interventions to reduce overdoses and overdose fatalities. Data in the form of dashboards and "heat maps" are made available online and used by harm reduction groups in their outreach efforts.

Services facilitated by TxCOPE include providing overdose education and naloxone distribution, testing street drugs for fentanyl and educating users on its dangers, providing educational materials on safe drug use, and linking users with peer support specialists and treatment and recovery programs.  

According to a news report on TxCOPE, it compares favorably with national databases on overdoses, which generally only track fatalities and are often dependent on medical examiner reports which can take months to complete. Other news stories on the program are here and here. Contact information for TxCOPE can be found here. The program is slated to roll out in stages to eventually include all of Texas.