PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The overdose crisis continues to evolve, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health is taking a new approach to tackling the new problem.
The department is currently offering training opportunities on current topics. This is just one part of the Shapiro administration's multi-agency response to address the opioid epidemic.
Dr. Debra Bogen, Pennsylvania's acting secretary of health, told KDKA-TV that the department is working to ensure everyone in the commonwealth who encounters drug use has the information they need to reduce stigma and get on the path to recovery. He said he would like to provide it.
“Approximately one person in Pennsylvania dies from an overdose every two hours, and many of those deaths are opioid-related, including fentanyl and other issues,” she said.
The countless people working on the front lines of Pennsylvania's overdose crisis now have more tools to fight it.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is offering five new training opportunities. Dr. Bogen said the free virtual course will provide health care and public safety workers with the tools they need to provide evidence-based care.
“We want to make sure everyone has access to quality things with kindness and support,” Dr. Bogen said.
She said each training module is targeted at a specific professional demographic. One is for people who treat pregnant and postpartum women with opioid use disorder, and she has one for people who work in emergency departments.
“Increase knowledge about important topics related to opioid use and harm reduction, connecting people to care, reducing stigma, and prescribing buprenorphine, a highly effective treatment for patients with opioid addiction.” ,” Dr. Bogen said.
There are also training opportunities for child welfare professionals and dentists.
“The health care professionals most likely to prescribe opioids to people who have not previously been exposed to opioids are dentists,” Dr. Bogen said.
There were 5,158 drug overdose deaths in 2022, a 4% decrease from the previous year, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. In Allegheny County, there will be 692 overdose deaths in 2022, a decrease of nearly 30 deaths compared to 2021.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” Dr. Bogen said.
She said the training the department has offered in the past is still available and she hopes the new courses will trickle down, improving patient outcomes and saving lives.
“We have to address stigma so that people can recover and get the services they need. So we have to reduce stigma. We have to keep people updated on what’s new and changing,” she said.
If you or a loved one need help finding treatment or support for substance use, call the PA Get Help Now helpline at 1-800-662-4357. It is free and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There are many resources throughout the Commonwealth.
“Reach out, talk to people and get the help you need,” Dr. Bogen said.
Anyone can register for new overdose prevention training opportunities funded by the CDC.
