NEPA Vital Signs - Winter Spring 2019 - 26

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commonwealth. The Wolf administration will continue to bolster resources
and implement initiatives to curb this
epidemic. Statewide and county specific
data on all these initiatives can be found
on the Opioid Data Dashboard, a part of
the commonwealth's open data portal, at
DATA.PA.GOV. For additional information
statewide disaster emergency provides the on the commonwealth's response to the
commonwealth with the ability to enhance opioid epidemic, visit https://www.pa.gov/
its response to the crisis, including the guides/opioid-epidemic/.
ability for EMS to leave naloxone behind
with a patient. In 2018 so far, 167 doses of Sources
naloxone were left with individuals by EMS. Opioid Threat Report: A Joint Report with the Drug Enforcement

The 'Good Samaritan' provision of Act 139 protects
individuals who call 911 or administer naloxone in the
event of an overdose from being arrested or charged
with parole violations and drug offenses.

Another OUD prevention effort that the
Wolf administration has implemented is drug
take-back boxes. Drug take-back boxes are
placed in 802 convenient locations throughout the state, so that anyone can dispose of
unused, expired or unwanted prescriptions.
Since implementation, 51.5 tons of medication have been collected and destroyed by
law enforcement officials. A map that depicts
the distribution of the boxes across the state
Individuals can get support for a SUD by
can be found on page 24.
calling the Get Help Now hotline (1-800662-HELP), or texting 717-216-0905. The
Get Help Now hotline is available 24/7
to connect individuals to treatment and
To minimize the number of overdoses in resources. The line has received a total of
Pennsylvania, Governor Wolf and Secretary 6,795 calls in 2018.
of Health Rachel Levine signed a standing
order prescription for all Pennsylvanians
Governor Wolf's administration expanded
to obtain naloxone, an overdose reversal Medicaid, which enabled 44,000 Pennsyldrug, from their local pharmacy. Together, vanians with an OUD to access treatment.
police officers, first responders, emergency The administration also improved access
medical service (EMS) providers, emergency to treatment through the Pennsylvania
department staff and civilians have saved Coordinated Medical Assistance Treatthousands of lives in Pennsylvania with ment (PacMAT) program and Centers of
naloxone. The Wolf Administration also Excellence (COE). The PacMAT program
supports public schools keeping naloxone is a hub-and-spoke network of providers
onsite. The 'Good Samaritan' provision of that aim to improve access to medically
Act 139 protects individuals who call 911 assisted treatment (MAT) across the comor administer naloxone in the event of an monwealth. The "hubs" are composed of
overdose from being arrested or charged specialists who provide support to "spokes,"
with parole violations and drug offenses. while the spokes provide direct treatment
to patients in the community. The COEs are
In 2017 alone, police officials administered designed to connect more people to treatnaloxone on 3,957 occasions in Pennsylvania ment and keep them engaged in treatment.
to reverse an overdose. Every state patrol The centers aim to incorporate behavioral
vehicle in Pennsylvania is equipped with health into primary care practices. In additwo naloxone doses. EMS providers often tion to the PacMAT and COE statewide
administer naloxone and transport a patient treatment facilities, there are county level
to the local emergency department (ED) treatment services. Community substance
for an evaluation. Pennsylvania coordinates abuse programs are administered through
with EDs throughout the state to establish country programs called Single County
warm handoffs from the EDs to treatment. If Authorities (SCAs).
the patient refuses transport, the EMS provider can leave additional doses of naloxone
In Pennsylvania, all areas of the combehind with the patient to prevent a possible monwealth are affected, both rural and
future overdose. Governor Wolf's declara- urban, by this crisis, and these initiatives
tion of the heroin and opioid epidemic as a work to expand access to MAT across the

Treatment

Administration and University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, 2017
https://data.pa.gov/stories/s/Prevention/rt9u-wz4c
https://data.pa.gov/stories/s/Rescue/dji6-fb2x
https://data.pa.gov/stories/s/Treatment/fvkx-eumb
https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Documents/Opioids/First%20
Responders%20Naloxone%20Standing%20Order.pdf

Rescue

N E PA

VITAL SIGNS

DR. LEVINE is currently
the Secretary of Health for the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and
Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry
at the Penn State College of Medicine.
She is a Fellow of the American
Academy of Pediatrics, A Fellow of
the Society for Adolescent Health and
Medicine, and a Fellow of the Academy
for Eating Disorders.
Dr. Levine joined the Wolf
administration in January, 2015
as the Physician General of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and
served from 2015-2017.
Her previous posts included: Vice-Chair
for Clinical Affairs for the Department
of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division
of Adolescent Medicine and Eating
Disorders at the Penn State Hershey
Medical Center.
Dr. Levine graduated from Harvard
College and the Tulane University
School of Medicine. She completed her
training in Pediatrics and Adolescent
Medicine at the Mt. Sinai Medical
Center in New York City.
CAROLYN BYRNES, is Special
Assistant to the Secretary of Health,
Pennsylvania Department of Health

LAURA FASSBENDER, is
Executive Intern, Pennsylvania
Department of Health

http://www.lackmedsoc.org http://www.LUZERNEMEDSOC.ORG http://DATA.PA.GOV https://www.pa.gov/ https://data.pa.gov/stories/s/Prevention/rt9u-wz4c https://data.pa.gov/stories/s/Rescue/dji6-fb2x https://data.pa.gov/stories/s/Treatment/fvkx-eumb https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Documents/Opioids/First%20

NEPA Vital Signs - Winter Spring 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEPA Vital Signs - Winter Spring 2019