Sounding the alarm
Gov. Wolf is right to term opioids an emergency
Like any complex problem in society, the opioid epidemic does not have one simple solution. State government cannot take a direct action and wipe out the epidemic as if it were a virus controlled by a vaccine. Despite this fact, we welcome Gov. Tom Wolf’s declaration on Wednesday of a disaster emergency in the case of the opioid crisis.
The governor’s declaration allows the epidemic to be treated like a natural disaster or severe storm, temporarily pushing aside regulations that the state believes hamper its response. Pennsylvania becomes the eighth state in the nation to declare such a state of emergency.
Although the statistics are not final, officials estimate that there were 5,260 drug-related deaths in the state in 2017, which gives Pennsylvania the fourth highest rate of such deaths in the country. In a time when no strong federal response has been forthcoming ,states see the need to take action.
The Wolf administration says the declaration opens a series of new possibilities for patients, such as allowing them to be admitted to narcotic treatment programs without first meeting face-to-face with physicians. According to officials, it will also expand access to naloxone, a drug used in overdose cases. It may also reduce separate licensing requirements for hospitals that wish to provide treatment.
Karl Williams, the Allegheny County medical examiner, called the emergency measures “a valuable, necessary, and welcome contribution” but mourned the lack of a broader response. He said the federal government and the insurance industry must fully commit to a high level of response. He particularly cited the inadequate amount of rehabilitation that is covered by insurance. Families of drug abuse victims have also explained that one month of rehabilitation is not sufficient for full recovery.
The state’s acting secretary of health recently reported that doctors in Pennsylvania wrote 12 percent fewer prescriptions for opioids in the third quarter of 2017 compared with the same period a year earlier. Actions by physicians, along with those taken by government and many other partners, are crucial in curbing this epidemic.