Speaking during a recent budget presentation, Luzerne County Drug and Alcohol Administrator Ryan Hogan told county council his agency wants to purchase and distribute fentanyl test strips now that they are legal, saying they may help reduce overdose deaths.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed House Bill 1393 earlier this month, which amended the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act of 1972 to no longer define fentanyl test strips as drug paraphernalia.
The state health department said 78% of last year’s 5,343 overdose deaths statewide involved fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid nearly 100 times more potent than morphine. Without a test strip, it is “nearly impossible” for drug users to know if fentanyl is present because it is undetectable through sight, taste and smell, the department said.
The small strips of paper can detect the presence of fentanyl in pills, powder and injectable drugs.
According to the county’s most recent division head report, the county had 126 confirmed drug overdose deaths through October and another 16 pending the results of toxicology testing.
Another program Hogan’s agency is planning for 2023 is a law enforcement treatment initiative developed in partnership with the county District Attorney’s Office and Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, he said.
At the time of arrest, law enforcement will have the option to consult with the county drug and alcohol agency when someone is being charged with a minimal, low-risk offense directly associated with substance use disorder. Hogan’s agency would promptly perform an assessment and get the offender into treatment. Law enforcement will then have the option to drop the charge if the offender complies with all treatment requirements for a set number of months.
Another new agency program that will be tested with Lehigh Valley Hospital in Hazleton will allow emergency room physicians to prescribe a 30-day supply of Suboxone to patients with opioid use disorder, Hogan said. The county would cover the cost of this medication-assisted treatment for up to 30 days and send a certified recovery specialist to link the patient to outpatient drug and alcohol treatment services, he said.
The county agency already has implemented a community-based certified recovery specialist program that allows trained advocates with “lived experience” to meet with people struggling with substance use disorder when they are seeking hospital care, engaged with law enforcement at the time of arrest or receiving the opioid overdose antidote Narcan from an emergency medical responder, Hogan said.
Hogan said his agency is heavily involved in determining how the county will use opioid litigation settlement funding in accordance with standards.
The county is expected to receive $25.4 million in compensation from litigation against opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors spread out over the next 18 years, officials have said.
Hogan said the county received its first $1.04 million allocation in September and is expecting another $1.8 million next month.
Council Chairwoman Kendra Radle said she will schedule a briefing solely on the settlement funding at a future work session.
Budget details
Hogan and other human service division managers presented their proposed budgets last week.
The county’s proposed 2023 general fund operating budget would collectively provide a total $8.7 million toward human service departments, which is approximately the same as this year’s contribution, a review of the document shows.
This local share is a small portion of the overall human service division budgets, which are proposed at a projected $111.7 million in 2023 and mostly funded by state and federal allocations, grants and other revenue streams, it shows.
Children and Youth has the largest proposed total budget — $46.6 million — and county contribution, which remains at $6.9 million.
The other proposed budgets within the county human services division, along with the county contributions:
• Mental Health/Developmental Services, $20.76 million total/$158,820 county payment
• Human services block grant, $19.7 million total/$1 million county payment
• Area Agency on Aging, $14.2 million total/no county payment
• Drug and Alcohol, $7.1 million total/$175,850 county payment
• Administration, $2.9 million total/$92,470 county payment
• Veteran Affairs, $363,750 total fully funded by the county