County details how it will use $100M payout

San Diego County’s share of money from settlements paid by opioid manufacturers will help expand naloxone distribution, support overdose survivors and provide fentanyl test strips to detect contaminated drugs, officials said in an update Tuesday.

The county’s opioid settlement framework, approved in October, maps out how county officials will spend $100 million they expect from seven lawsuits pending against drug companies. It focuses on integrating substance use treatment into medical care, adding social support and services and preventing and reducing harm from opioid use.

Officials are developing a program to dispatch trained peer advocates to hospitals to meet patients recovering from overdoses and get them started in treatment programs. Peer advocates will counsel patients in the emergency room and provide 90 days of follow-up support, including overdose education, naloxone access and service referrals to treatment, according to the board letter.

“Peers will help clients navigate to resources for reducing future overdose risk,” said Dr. Nicole Esposito, the county’s population health officer, at county supervisors’ Tuesday meeting.

Officials will connect primary care providers with resources for behavioral health care, particularly in rural areas, she said. That will include routine screenings, prevention, medication and referrals to behavioral health specialists, the board letter said. And the county’s emergency medical service providers are developing a pilot program to train paramedics to provide medication for opioid withdrawal in the field.

The county is also expanding options for overdose prevention, with six naloxone vending machines in place and six more scheduled for installation, said Liz Hernandez, the county’s public health services director. In addition, the Sheriff ’s Department has distributed more than 800 naloxone kits, she said. The county will also provide clean syringes and fentanyl test strips to check drugs for contamination, she said.

Health officials will also launch an “illicit fentanyl awareness campaign” aimed at children and teens through social media, streaming, gaming and audio, said Luke Bergmann, the behavioral health services director.