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Louisiana has stepped up its efforts to fight the opioid epidemic, thanks to a nearly $ 30 million boost from the federal government.
The US Department of Health and Social Services announced last week that Louisiana would receive more than $ 20 million to create a model that would offer a more holistic approach to treating addiction. l & # 39; effort.
"This epidemic is the public health crisis of our time – and we are losing far too many Americans every day from opioid overdoses," said CDC director, Dr. Robert Redfield, in a statement announcing the grant. "These funds will provide vital resources to those on the front line in the fight against the opioid overdose epidemic."
According to statistics from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Louisiana has seen a sharp rise in the number of opioid-related deaths in recent years. The state also has a high rate of opioid prescriptions.
Opioids are a commonly prescribed category of narcotic analgesics, including OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin and Codeine.
According to a 2016 CDC report, approximately 20% of patients who seek medical attention for symptoms of non-cancer pain or pain-related diagnoses receive an opioid prescription.
Janice Petersen, Assistant Deputy Secretary of the Behavioral Health Bureau of the Louisiana Department of Health, said the grants would build on the $ 8 million federal grant last year to improve her response to the opioid crisis.
"We were really counting on that to continue these efforts and launch new efforts," said Petersen.
Louisiana hopes to emulate the Vermont-recognized "hub-and-spoke" system to deal with the opioid crisis, which has been hailed as a successful model for copying by other states.
A results study published by the National Institutes of Health concluded that "the development and implementation of a star-care system has contributed significantly to improving the treatment capacity of opioid agonists in Vermont. for other states struggling with the current epidemic of opioid consumption. "
In the Vermont model, the "centers" are addiction treatment centers that provide intensive drug-assisted treatment. "Rays" are a treatment in progress in community settings, including front-line physicians and nurses, counselors and social workers.
Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, the US majority whip, said the administration of President Donald Trump was determined to tackle the problem of opioid epidemics in the country.
"These funds will go a long way toward meeting our goals of tackling opioid addiction at the local level and treating those already struggling with addiction," Scalise said. "I am proud to have worked with President Trump and my colleagues in Congress to adopt some of the most important laws to deal with this crisis, and I will continue to fight for our law enforcement agencies to have necessary tools drugs from our streets. "
US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said the Louisiana grant of more than $ 1 billion last week will help advance the fight against the epidemic. "Addressing the opioid crisis with all possible resources and the best scientific knowledge we have is a top priority for President Trump and everyone at HHS," said Azar.
One of the benefits of grants is the improvement of "integrated services" – social and nursing workers, vocational training and other programs to improve treatment success.
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"We are trying to provide comprehensive services," said Petersen. "Of course, we are delighted (about federal funds)."
Petersen said state health officials have worked to identify "hotspots" where addiction and opioid related deaths are high and treatment limited.
With this additional funding, the government will be able to expand outreach efforts to places it has not yet seen, including local libraries and homeless shelters.
"We are really touching different kinds of parameters," Petersen said.
According to the analysis of the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics over a period of time up to June 30, 2016, Louisiana has the sixth highest rate of prescription pain medication in the country. new prescriptions and refills prescribed. The national average was 69.5 prescriptions per 100 people during this period.
The state drug overdose rate also exceeds the national average, fueled by increased prescription opioid abuse and the consumption of illicit opioids, such as heroin, and synthetic black market opioids. like fentanyl. The CDC reported that Louisiana had the 19th age-adjusted opioid overdose in 2015.
In recent years, the state legislature has sought to remedy the crisis by legislating to limit prescriptions and make opioid treatment more available.
The Vermont system was spurred by the Federal Affordable Care Act, which allowed states to extend Medicaid to a larger number of low-income adults, with the federal government taking over the essentials of the note.
Shortly after taking office in 2016, Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, expanded Medicaid in Louisiana by decree.
More than 480,000 people, mostly working poor, have been added to the state's Medicaid lists through the extension. Nearly 12,000 people have benefited from addiction treatment through outpatient services and another 13,000 have benefited from in-hospital treatment thanks to the benefits of Medicaid's expansion.
Follow Elizabeth Crisp on Twitter, @elizabethcrisp.
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