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Olmsted County medical examiner: fentanyl concentrations rising, autopsies and toxicology underpin local overdose data
Summary
The Olmsted County medical examiner reported that autopsy and toxicology efforts are robust in the region, documented lower overdose death counts in 2024 compared with 2023 but preliminary 2025 data show increases, and described high fentanyl concentrations found in recent overdose autopsies.
Ross Reichert, Olmsted County medical examiner, briefed the board on forensic capacity and yearly mortality data, describing how thorough death investigation and toxicology work affect local overdose statistics and trends.
Reichert said the county’s medical‑examiner office and regional death investigators perform comprehensive autopsies and full toxicology on suspected drug deaths; those practices can yield higher documented counts because cases are actively investigated and tested. He told commissioners Olmsted County’s drug‑poisoning death rate is reported at about 20 per 100,000 people compared with a state median of about…
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