Hershey, PA – Physician General Dr. Rachel Levine today visited the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey to provide an update on the recent substance abuse trends and issues that face Pennsylvania for Penn State University’s Third Annual Addiction Symposium.
“Curbing addiction rates in Pennsylvania will take an all-hands-on-deck approach from professionals throughout the state,” Dr. Levine said. “This symposium allows us to share experiences and discuss how we can better help people afflicted with the disease of addiction. I thank Penn State University and our speakers for working to save lives and defeat this devastating epidemic.”
The Wolf Administration holds the fight against heroin and prescription opioids as a top priority. In order to continue the battle against the opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania, Governor Wolf included the following proposals in his 2017-18 budget:
· Expanding access to life-saving naloxone by providing $10 million through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to first responders and law enforcement across the state;
· Maximizing federal Cures Act funding, which includes $26.5 million in each of the next two years for Pennsylvania, to expand access to treatment services, particularly for individuals who are uninsured or underinsured; and
· Providing $3.4 million to expand specialty drug courts to expand treatment strategies that divert offenders into more meaningful treatment and recovery.
Some of the administration’s other initiatives to fight the opioid epidemic include:
· Establishing a new law limiting the amount of opioids that can be prescribed to a minor to seven days;
· 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, including geriatricians, who provide opioid prescriptions to their patients;
· Creating the warm handoff guideline to facilitate referrals from the emergency department to substance abuse treatment;
· Educating and encouraging seniors to properly use, store and dispose of unused prescription medications through Drug Take-Back initiatives;
· Increasing the availability of naloxone; and
· Designating 45 Centers of Excellence, central hubs that provide navigators to assist those with opioid use disorders with behavioral and physical health care, along with medication-assisted treatment, as needed.
The Penn State Addiction Symposium was created to enhance collaboration between groups studying and treating addiction at Penn State campuses and throughout the commonwealth. Faculty members, students, scientists, and other interested parties attend the event to learn more about the substance abuse research conducted at the various Penn State campuses.
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 or ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov
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