Muncy, PA - Pennsylvania Physician General Dr. Rachel Levine and Louie Marven of the LGBT Center of Central PA visited Ben Franklin Store and Townville Pharmacy in Muncy today to demonstrate the ease with which anyone can fill prescriptions for naloxone, a life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug which is readily available to anyone in the commonwealth due to the standing order prescription signed by Dr. Levine.
“The opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania affects everyone, including members of the LGBTQ community.” said Dr. Levine. “Addiction is a disease and not a moral failing. By all of us, working together, we can end this crisis. It is very important for individuals and families in all communities to obtain naloxone and know how to use it in order to save the life of a friend, loved one or person who might suffer from addiction to opioids and could be at risk of an overdose.”
According to the LGBT Center of Central PA’s 2015 LGBTQA Community Health Needs Assessment, more than 11 percent of LGBT individuals in Pennsylvania reported use of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. In 2015, nearly 3,500 Pennsylvanians died from a drug overdose.
Naloxone is a medication that can reverse an overdose from opioid prescription pain medication or heroin. When administered during an overdose, naloxone blocks the effects of opioids on the brain and restores breathing within two to eight minutes. Naloxone has been used safely by medical professionals for more than 40 years and its only function is to reverse the effects of opioids on the brain and respiratory system in order to prevent death.
Anyone can obtain naloxone by filling a prescription from a health care provider or by using the standing order issued by Dr. Levine, which serves as a naloxone prescription for anyone in the general public to use. The standing order is kept on file at many pharmacies and can also be downloaded from the Department of Health website.
The Wolf Administration holds the fight against heroin and prescription opioids as a top priority. Some of the administration’s other initiatives to fight the opioid epidemic include:
Strengthening the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) so that doctors are required and able to check the system each time they prescribe opioids;
Forming new prescribing guidelines to help doctors who provide opioid prescriptions to their patients;
Creating the warm handoff guideline to facilitate referrals from the emergency department to substance abuse treatment; and
Establishing a new law limiting the amount of opioids that can be prescribed to a minor to seven days.
If you or someone you know is suffering from the disease of addiction, call 1-800-662-HELP or visit www.pa.gov/opioids for treatment options. For more information on the fight against opioid abuse in Pennsylvania, visit the Department of Health website at www.health.pa.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
MEDIA CONTACT: April Hutcheson - 717-787-1783
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