Pa. getting $26.5 million grant for opioid treatment
(Harrisburg) — Pennsylvania has secured a federal grant to help in the fight against drug overdose deaths. More than $26 million will be used for treatment programs.
The state says it will use the money to provide treatment to 6,000 uninsured or underinsured people.
It plans to set up 8 treatment hubs with physicians and other medical professionals, along with people who can provide help in the community.
“You’ll have a physician lead who will work with a network of primary care physicians, as well as other community support services, to fully address the needs of an individual who’s suffering from addiction,” says Sarah Galbally, Governor Wolf’s secretary of policy and planning.
As part of the federal grant, Galbally says Pennsylvania first has to determine where its especially hard to get help.
“While we know that we have an epidemic across the state, we also know that there are probably areas across the state where treatment is harder to come by. And so making sure that we are distributing these eight hub and spoke models, to align with where we need treatment,” she adds.
Galbally says the grant is only for one year, with the option for a second year, but it may follow different guidelines now that President Donald Trump is in office.
She says the grant requires the state to expand access to addiction treatment medications like methadone, suboxone and naltrexone.
The federal grant is part of the CURES Act, which also increases research funding but has raised concerns for some patient safety advocates.
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