HARRISBURG -- The Center for Rural Pennsylvania will hold a public hearing at the Keystone Building on Wednesday about the heroin/opioid epidemic.
The purpose of the hearing is to gather information from the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. It will teach state leaders how information in the database and other sources are being used at the local level for education, prevention and treatment efforts.
The information collected helps health care providers safely prescribe controlled substances and it also helps patients get the treatment they need.
The public hearing will be held in the Commonwealth Keystone Building, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Hearing Room 5, located at 400 North Street. It will begin at 9 a.m.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also on Wednesday, Governor Tom Wolf will join Independence Blue Cross in addressing stigmas associated with opioid use disorders.
The Governor will mark the ‘Someone You Know’ initiative and share steps the administration has taken to end these stigmas and respond to the state’s opioid crisis.
The event will take place in the Capitol Rotunda at 10 a.m.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wolf Administration will provide free naloxone at 95 locations across the state on Wednesday.
The Naloxone is available for any Pennsylvanian who wants it as part of the administration’s ongoing effort to reduce the number of opioid overdoses and get residents into treatment.
Distributions will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until supplies last. In addition to being able to get naloxone for free, it is carried at most pharmacies across the state year-round.
Additional information on naloxone can be found on the state’s website at www.pa.gov/opioids.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September is also National Recovery Month. The month is dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders and celebrate the people who recover.
To learn more about National Recovery Month and find programs for current and recovering addicts, click here.
