During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States saw an increase in overdose deaths, and in Lancaster County, the number of overdose deaths increased by more than 40%.
"In 2021 alone, our county saw an average of three overdose deaths per week," said Jon Lepley, DO, medical director, Addiction Medicine with Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Physicians. "In almost every case, it's because they have an addiction not being medically treated."
Research shows that using medication to treat opioid addiction under the supervision of a provider reduces withdrawal symptoms and the risk of opioid overdose. Buprenorphine is an FDA-approved medication to treat opioid use disorder, and it can be prescribed by providers in the primary-care setting.
"As we began to see the number of deaths slowly increase during the pandemic, we knew that we needed to take action to increase the access to the medications that treat opioid addiction," added Dr. Lepley.
In collaboration with Shirley Beale, CRNP, Addiction Medicine, and Zachary Miers, LPC, CAADC, manager, Behavioral Health-Addiction Medicine, Dr. Lepley developed resources for primary-care providers to enhance knowledge of opioid use disorder care and medication within primary-care practices.
While LGHP’s Addiction Medicine currently works with eight LGHP primary-care locations, the team is committed to increasing the number of providers who prescribe buprenorphine, ultimately expanding access through more locations to patients in need of opioid use disorder treatments.
"Our team continues to provide care management and collaborates on treatment for the patient as they transition to managed care within the primary-care setting," said Miers. “This treatment model enables patients to receive barrier-free care similar to how individuals with any other disease or disorder would at a primary care location.”
September is Recovery Month, a national observance to increase awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders and celebrate the people who recover. If you or someone you know has substance use or opioid use disorder, visit www.lancasterjoiningforces.org to learn more about available resources. To connect with LG Health’s Addiction Medicine program, contact 717-544-1427.