Gov. Wolf declares 90-day statewide disaster opioid emergency
"I don't take this action lightly," Wolf said during an afternoon press conference in
Now, though, Wolf said the state can do more under his declaration, which by law only lasts for 90 days and allows the state to waive certain requirements and regulations to address the epidemic. "It is imperative that we use every tool to try and contain and eradicate this public health crisis," he said.
The three goals under the declaration include improving coordination and data collection to enhance the local and state response to the crisis; offering better tools to potentially save lives, such as naloxone; and expanding treatment access and streamlining the in-take process.
Wolf highlighted the creation of the command center, which will be overseen by the
The declaration also expands access to the state's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program for clinical purposes, makes overdose and neonatal abstinence syndrome a reportable condition to improve data collection and makes contract changes to ensure that the 1-800-662-HELP line continues uninterrupted.
Wolf's declaration allows for emergency medical services providers to leave behind naloxone kits at overdose scenes where a victim survives but refuses to go to the hospital. Secretary of Health
"You can't get into treatment if you're dead," she said.
Other aspects of the declaration include allowing pharmacists to partner with organizations, such as prisons and treatment programs, to provide naloxone to at-risk individuals and reschedules fentanyl derivatives as a more serious Schedule 1 drug in line with federal standards.
Wolf said he hoped to ease access to treatment by waiving a requirement that those waiting to be admitted into treatment must have a face-to-face meeting with a physician and, instead, allowing certified registered nurse practitioners or physician assistants to do intake interviews.
Dosing at satellite facilities would also be allowed to expand access to medication-assisted treatment. Also, high-performing drug and alcohol treatment facilities would have bi-annual licensing instead of annual licensing to take up less staff time, those seeking treatment could have fees waived to obtain a birth certificate and licensing requirements would be waived to allow doctors to administer short-term medication-assisted treatment consistent with federal regulations.
Bacharach said the key to the declaration's effectiveness would be "being able to collect and coordinate data and being able to provide better insight and information as to what approaches to treatment are most effective."
With the declaration,
The declaration drew support from the
"The staggering number of drug overdose deaths in
Wolf's declaration "has enabled physicians to do more to help patients who normally would have limited recovery options," Dr.
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