As the COVID-19 pandemic continues throughout the United States, and the country deals with the civil unrest and racial inequality issues boiling over after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, we must deal with these issues head-on without forgetting about another public health epidemic that continues to plague America: The opioid crisis.
Pennsylvania Substance Abuse Statistics
Throughout the country, addiction continues to ravage the lives of individuals, families, and communities. Opioids, alcohol, cocaine, and other substances continue to impact the lives and cause destruction in every city, town, and state across America. In the state of Pennsylvania, 65% of fatal drug overdoses involved opioids in 2018. Additionally, in the same year, Pennsylvania medical providers wrote 49.9 opioid prescriptions for every 100 persons. In terms of state trends, Pennsylvania has higher rates related to drug-related deaths per 100,000 people, inpatient rehab and drug treatment stays resulting from opioids per 100,000 people, and estimated acute Hepatitis-C cases per 100,000 people. Pennsylvania also has 85% of individuals that meet the criteria for having a substance use disorder and need treatment but did not receive treatment through the inability to access care or refusing to receive help. This last number is not simply based on individuals needing drug treatment due to opioids, but individuals needing drug treatment that didn’t access care based on overall addiction issues.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, the opioid overdose epidemic is considered the worst public health crisis in Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. All cities, big and small, and rural communities are impacting throughout Pennsylvania due to the opioid crisis. From large cities like Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to smaller cities like York, Pennsylvania, and even Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the state capital, communities are dealing with the impact and consequences of America’s opioid epidemic.
Addressing the Opioid Crisis in Pennsylvania
There are some steps that Pennsylvania has taken to address the rising wave of opioid issues and opioid-related fatal overdoses. Governor Tom Wolf and his administration have a data dashboard that provides county-level data and highlights prevention, rescue, and treatment efforts across the state of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania also has a prescription drug monitoring program, the purpose of which is to help prevent prescription drug abuse, doctor shopping, and overprescribing efforts by medical professionals. There is also a state-wide standing order prescription for the overdose-reversal drug Naloxone. Additional efforts to combat Pennsylvania’s opioid crisis are continuing education for providers and medical professionals, a patient non-opioid directive, developing and adopting prescribing guidelines in an effort with the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs for the safe and effective use of opioids in the treatment of pain, and a warm handoff approach to addiction treatment and recovery programs between community organization, treatment professionals, and rehabs.
Innovo Detox is doing our part to help combat Pennsylvania’s opioid epidemic, alongside opioid issues still taking place in neighboring states such as Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Delaware, and the city of Washington, D.C. We provide the highest quality of detox and medical stabilization services through evidence-based medical, clinically therapeutic, and recovery and peer support services. We work collaboratively with professionals and addiction treatment providers throughout the state to offer patients a seamless continuum of care to support long-term recovery, as well as support medication-assisted treatment options for patients struggling with opioid use disorder when applicable.
If you need help or someone you know needs help for addiction or co-occurring disorders, please give us a call. Innovo Detox offers the latest in evidence-based medical, psychiatric, and clinical care for those in need of detox and medical stabilization in Pennsylvania and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic area. If we aren’t the best fit for you or a loved one, we will take the necessary time to work with you to find a detox, rehab, treatment center or provider that better fits your needs. Please give us a call at (717) 619-3260 or email our team at info@innovodetox.com. For more information on our company or services, please visit our website at www.innovodetox.com.
