Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The governor’s Opioid Task Force on June 10 released recommendations in the areas of prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery that are intended to strengthen the state’s ability to respond to the opioid crisis.
The 36-member task force met three times over a period of 60 days. The task force comprised state and local officials, insurers, first responders, providers, patients, and the judiciary. Mayors Martin Walsh of Boston, Domenic Sarno of Springfield and Thomas Hoye of Taunton participated.
The task force was created following the governor’s declaration in March of a public health emergency relative to opioid overdoses. In response to the crisis, the governor pledged $20 million in state funding to boost treatment and recovery services. He asked the task force to develop priorities for how the funding should be spent.
The task force found that:
• There is a need for increased education for youth and families about the dangers of drug use.
• There is a need for increased education for prescribers to ensure safe and effective pain management.
• There are opportunities to improve the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances.
• There is a need for centralized treatment resources, while individuals and families report challenges in accessing services beyond simply knowing where they are.
• Providers and consumers express concerns about barriers to access.
• Correctional facilities are an important site of care for opioid addiction.
• There is a need for peer support in the recovery process.
• There is a need for expanded recovery services across the state.
The task force recommended the allocation of the $20 million to 24 separate initiatives. The top three priorities of the task force included:
• Development of a central navigation system that could be accessed through a toll-free number to provide information about treatment options and current availability (at an annual cost of $1.45 million)
• Creation of pilot regional centers that provide assessment, drop-in counseling and referral to treatment on demand, leveraging existing treatment organizations (at an annual cost of $1.8 million)
• Development of prescription drug monitoring program infrastructure to support safe practices for the prescription of opioids and new regulations related to the Public Health Emergency and accelerated enrollment of prescribers (at an annual cost of $1.5 million)
The increase in fatal opioid overdoses in Massachusetts parallels a national trend, with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services deeming prescription opioid overdose deaths an epidemic in 2013.
For the full task force report, visit: www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/substance-abuse/opioid/report-of-the-opioid-task-force-6-10-14.pdf