Topics Related to Opioid Epidemic

NC Receives $1.2 Million in Grants to Fight Opioid Epidemic in Six Rural Communities

Six rural North Carolina communities will share $1.2 million in federal grant funds to strengthen and expand their response to opioid use disorder with increased planning; prevention; evidence-based treatment, including medication-assisted treatment; and recovery service delivery.

Governor Notes Progress in Fighting Opioid Epidemic; Unveils Opioid Action Plan 2.0

Today, at the opening of the 2019 Opioid Summit, Governor Roy Cooper highlighted the state’s progress in addressing the opioid epidemic over the last two years and launched the updated Opioid Action Plan 2.0 to continue to combat this issue in North Carolina.

R.J. Blackley Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center Now Certified to Initiate Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

To boost North Carolina’s response to the opioid crisis, R.J. Blackley Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center in Butner recently became certified as an opioid treatment program for people with opioid use disorder. 

DHHS, DPS Create Treatment Pilot for Inmates with Opioid Use Disorder to Transition after Prison

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Public Safety are partnering to create a new medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program to reduce the overdose-related deaths of people with an opioid disorder who are re-entering their communities upon leaving prison.

DHHS, Mountain Area Health Education Center to Train Next Generation of NC Doctors to Treat Opioid Use Disorder

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with the Mountain Area Health Education Center to increase the number of doctors who graduate from North Carolina residency programs with the training necessary to provide medication-assisted treatment for patients with opioid use disorder through a grant awarded to the state by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

End of Year Data Shows More Treatment Access Needed to Stem North Carolina’s Opioid Epidemic

Unintentional opioid-related overdose resulted in 1,884 deaths in North Carolina last year, a 34 percent increase from the 1,407 deaths attributed to the same cause in 2016, and state health officials say the increase is due to the increase in potent illicit drugs like heroin and fentanyl

North Carolina Strengthens its Fight Against Opioid Crisis by Helping Prescribers and Pharmacists Identify Patients at Risk

Governor Roy Cooper announced today that North Carolina is strengthening its fight against the opioid epidemic by expanding the number of pharmacies participating in the Controlled Substance Reporting System. North Carolina is also activating a digital gateway to provide pharmacists and prescribers one-click access to patient information and data to identify those at risk for prescription drug addiction, overdose and death.

DHHS Announces Grants to Local Health Departments to Address the Opioid Crisis with Community-Driven Strategies

Twenty-two local health departments in North Carolina will receive a share of $1.8 million to implement high-impact, community-level strategies to address the opioid crisis based on the NC Opioid Action Plan.

North Carolina Wins $27 Million in Federal Funding to Fight Opioid Misuse

North Carolina will receive $27 million over the next year to fight the state's opioid epidemic by getting people off opioids and preventing others from misusing them, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. Grants include $23 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and $4 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services will administer both grants.

NC Payers Council Releases Approach to Further Combat the Opioid Crisis in North Carolina

The North Carolina Payers Council, a group of public and private health care payers formed as part of Governor Roy Cooper’s 2017 North Carolina Opioid Action Plan to identify, align and implement policies to combat the opioid crisis, today released a report that identifies a five-pronged approach to address the epidemic.