Over the past few months, stories concerning the opioid crisis have garnered front page news throughout the United States. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania has not been spared.
The number of individuals who have overdosed on opioids increased dramatically over the past few years. PAMED and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have teamed up to fight this battle together and have launched a number of initiatives, including education on the "Warm Hand-off" (also called "referral for treatment") to aid in the identification and treatment of individuals addicted to opioids.
Fortunately, largely due to the efforts of the Pennsylvania Physician General, Dr. Rachel Levine, and the Secretary of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Gary Tennis, naloxone has been available to first responders, as well as the general public, for the rapid reversal of opioid overdoses. Many of those patients who have received this life-saving intervention subsequently present to emergency departments for further evaluation and treatment of both medical and, in some cases, mental health concerns.
It is during this hospital visit that the warm handoff should be initiated..…
To read the entire blog, visit https://www.pamedsoc.org/tools-you-can-use/topics/quality-and-value-blog/BlogMay1816
To learn more about “Opioids for Pain: Be Smart. Be Safe. Be Sure.” visit https://www.pamedsoc.org/opioidinfo.