(NewsNation) — The Pentagon will now be required to compile data on drug overdoses within the military following the passage of the annual defense policy bill in December.

Previously, overdoses in the military weren’t systematically tracked, Military.com reported.

The Department of Defense will have to track information like which substances were involved, who was involved and where the overdose took place along with other details like whether the service member previously sought mental health treatment.

The law also requires the DoD to make naloxone — a life-saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses — available “on all military installations” and in “each operational environment.”

Last year, after pressure from federal lawmakers, the Pentagon released data showing an alarming increase in the number of troop overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl. In 2021, fentanyl was involved in 88% of the deaths of service members who overdosed on drugs, up from 36% in 2016.

The Army lost 127 soldiers to fentanyl between 2015 and 2022, The Washington Post reported in June. That total is more than double the number of Army personnel killed in combat in Afghanistan over the same time period.

Other studies show U.S. military veterans have been heavily impacted by the opioid overdose crisis, with drug overdose mortality rates increasing by 53% from 2010–2019.

Additional data will allow the DoD to better identify trends in overdose deaths and enable it to more accurately allocate resources to prevent future deaths.

Under the new law, the Pentagon will also have to conduct a study on the efficacy of opioid alternatives for pain management. That report will include recommendations for military treatment facilities.