Experts fear spike in overdose deaths as new monitoring program takes effect
(Harrisburg) — Pennsylvania’s program to monitor how often people are receiving powerful painkillers is close to its debut.
But there’s concerns the effort could lead to other problems.
Pennsylvania is one of the last states in the U.S. to get a prescription drug monitoring program.
It will allow health care professionals – doctors, nurses, physician assistants, ER staff – to check when someone last received a prescription for pain pills or other potentially dangerous drugs.
But many in the addiction field worry it will push people to heroin, as it becomes harder to get prescription opioids.
That’s happened in other states that have started similar programs.
“Ahh, how do you prepare for that? I mean, it’s pretty much a reactive situation because we don’t control who gets involved with doctors, who gets put on pain medication,” says James Donmoyer, executive director of the Lebanon County Drug and Alcohol Commission.
He adds: “Well, I mean it’s pretty tough to head it off other than getting information out there, educating the medical field to some degree on the real similarities between pain medication and heroin.”
Donmoyer and other experts expect to see a spike in heroin overdoses – they just hope it’s temporary.
They say the monitoring program is a good step, but it may expose other weaknesses in the system – like too few treatment beds.
Sometimes, your mornings are just too busy to catch the news beyond a headline or two. Don’t worry. The Morning Agenda has got your back. Each weekday morning, host Tim Lambert will keep you informed, amused, enlightened and up-to-date on what’s happening in central Pennsylvania and the rest of this great commonwealth.
