Philadelphia , PA - Philadelphia, PA – As a result of law enforcement action involving Dr. Bernard Ogon, with Tri-State Visiting Home Physicians and Suboxone Clinic, and Dr. Walter Wrenn, of Philadelphia, PA, the Department of Health is working to assist those patients who are affected by the closure of these offices.
“No patient can be left behind when something happens to their doctor,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “Our Patient Advocacy Program is identifying and coordinating resources to assist Dr. Ogon’s and Dr. Walter’s patients with finding care, including access to substance use disorder.”
Patients who live in Philadelphia, Delaware, Bucks and Montgomery counties may be impacted by the closure of these offices.
When a patient who has been treated with prescription opioids, buprenorphine, or benzodiazepines suddenly loses access to their medication, the patient is at risk of an overdose and/or severe medication withdrawal, including pain and psychological distress, if care is not reestablished.
- Opioids are medications such as Percocet, Vicodin, OxyContin, and oxycodone
- Buprenorphine are medications such as Suboxone and Subutex
- Benzodiazepines are medications such as Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium
“When patients suddenly lose access to their healthcare provider, they may feel they have no other options but to turn to other sources to avoid withdrawal,” Acting Secretary Beam said. “Law enforcement action against a healthcare provider does not mean that a patient has done something wrong.”
Medications obtained illicitly are very dangerous as they are often not what they appear, and frequently contain contaminants and extremely potent substances such as fentanyl that greatly increase the risk of overdose.
Affected patients may not have access to their medical records; however, the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) collects information on all filled prescription for controlled substances and is a useful tool for providers to view a patient’s prescribing history to make informed clinical decisions.
Abrupt tapering can result in opioid withdrawal symptoms. Providers should reference the Guide for Appropriate Tapering or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Use (visit bit.ly/HHStaperingguide), published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for advice on safe and effective tapering practices.
If patients of Dr. Ogon or Dr. Walter need help finding care, the following resources are available:
- To increase the opportunity for continuity of care for these patients, the Pennsylvania Department of Health Patient Advocacy Program is coordinating state/local efforts and compiling an inventory of resources. Patients who need assistance establishing care should contact the Patient Advocacy Program at ra-dh-advocacy@pa.gov or 844-377-7367 (Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm EST).
- Temple University Health System is Philadelphia's PacMAT Program, this includes 18 "spokes" in their network throughout the city of Philadelphia. It functions as a specialized, office-based opioid treatment program with onsite services for patients interested in buprenorphine for opioid use disorder.
- Help is available for those battling substance use disorder. Call 1-800-GET-HELP (1-800-662-4357) or visit ddap.pa.gov
- Centers of Excellence for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) are designed to engage the community to identify all persons with OUD and make sure every person with OUD achieves optimal health. For more information, or to find a Center of Excellence near you, visit https://www.dhs.pa.gov/Services/Assistance/Pages/Centers-of-Excellence.aspx
We also encourage all patients, particularly those who were being treated for chronic pain, to consider getting naloxone to reduce risk of overdose. Naloxone is a medication that reverses opioid overdoses and is available through a standing order, which means you do not need a prescription. Most pharmacies carry naloxone. For more information, visit: Pa.gov/opioids.
To provide feedback to the Department of Health about this incident, please visit www.health.pa.gov and click “Contact Us” at the bottom.
Additional information on opioids can be found on the state’s website at www.pa.gov/opioids us on Facebook and Twitter.
MEDIA CONTACT: Barry Ciccocioppo, RA-DHPressOffice@pa.gov
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