Joint effort for overdose death epidemic

DAVID HULSE
Posted 12/7/16

HONESDALE, PA — In the past three years, at least 43 persons have died as a result of drug overdoses in Wayne County, according to Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Executive Director Jeff Zerechak …

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Joint effort for overdose death epidemic

Posted

HONESDALE, PA — In the past three years, at least 43 persons have died as a result of drug overdoses in Wayne County, according to Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Executive Director Jeff Zerechak as he reported to the county commissioners on December 1.

Two other deaths are still awaiting a final determination from the county coroner, he added. Drug overdose-related deaths are not always immediately determined, he said. People with dementia can accidently overdose on prescriptions. Other deaths involving drugs to some extent may or may not be determined as overdoses.

Some comparisons about the seriousness of the problem can be drawn from a July analysis of Pennsylvania drug overdose deaths by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The DEA found that “the 2015 statewide drug overdose death rate in Pennsylvania was 26 per 100,000 people, an increase from the reported 2014 rate of 21 per 100,000 people.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control, the national drug overdose death rate in 2014 (most recent available) was 14.7 per 100,000 people.”

By comparison, the DEA determined a rate of 35.6 per 100,000 Wayne County deaths were attributable to drug overdose. That rate is exceeded in the easterly two-thirds of the Commonwealth only by urban Delaware (35.82) and Philadelphia (45.93) counties.

The rate increased by 29% from 2014 to 2015, according to the DEA.

Warm hand-off

In their most recent response, officials of Wayne Memorial Hospital (WMH) and the Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Commission (WCDAC) joined forces in October to form the “Warm Hand-off” program to help get those released from the hospital after overdose medical treatment into a drug rehabilitation program. Wayne County helped leverage state and federal funding for the program.

The hand-off begins at the hospital, where the stabilized patient is offered the opportunity to meet with professional drug and alcohol staff, who will be available “after hours, nights and weekends,” and given information and a number to call for help. For those who seek help, the next part is WMH notification of WCDAC through the county emergency control center.

“The population is key,” Zerechak said. “We need to be able to intervene” and quickly get the person out of the situation where the problem arose. “We respond and screen on the phone and start a bed search and arrange transportation. It’s a straight shot, from the hospital to rehab,” he said.

Responding to a concern from Commissioner Jonathan Fritz that drug users should not be deterred from seeking hospital treatment for fear of being forced into rehabilitation, Zerechak said the program is not mandatory. Drug users “often don’t feel well after an overdose. We may have later referrals,” he said.

“It’s a great program,” WMH CEO David Hoff said. “We want to increase community awareness for intervention and reduce the hopeless stigma.”

As configured now, the program is for Wayne residents, Zerechak said, and not everyone will be eligible. Those with associated mental health issues will need additional intervention. People with mental health issues have presented at WMH since the program began, some of them suicidal, he said.

“Drug and alcohol treatment facilities don’t have staff for these issues. The hospital is the first line of defense,” he said.

“We’re a conduit though?” Commissioner Wendell Kay asked. Zerechak responded in the affirmative.

Kay said it was important to “emphasize an integrated approach. There is seldom one aspect to these problems.” For example, he said that 67% of the county correctional facility inmates are getting psycho-tropic meds and most of them have mental health records. “We just want to increase the percentage of getting it right,” he said.

Anyone in Wayne with related personal concerns or seeking information should call  WCDAC at 570/253-6022.

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