Harrisburg, PA – The Shapiro Administration today announced it is stepping in to pay for critical drug testing supplies after the Trump Administration decided to abandon Pennsylvanians at risk of overdose by cutting vital federal funding.
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) will now pay for drug testing strips using opioid settlement dollars awarded to the Department as a result of a multistate investigation of opioid manufacturers and distributors spearheaded by Governor Josh Shapiro when he was Attorney General. That historic win led to settlement agreements for Pennsylvania worth billions of dollars.
“While the federal government may limit the use of federal funding for drug testing strips, under the leadership of Governor Shapiro, we are stepping up to make sure these lifesaving tools remain available at no cost across the Commonwealth,” said DDAP Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones. “Through our Overdose Prevention Program, we remain committed to making sure Pennsylvanians have access to overdose prevention supplies – meeting people where they are and working every day to continue to reduce overdose deaths.”
DDAP’s decision to continue supporting harm reduction strategies that prevent fatal overdoses and keep people alive comes after the Trump Administration’s announcement that states can no longer use federal funding to purchase or distribute drug testing strips intended for use by people who use substances.
Drug testing strips help to prevent overdoses by allowing individuals to detect dangerous substances in the drug supply and make safer decisions. Fentanyl and xylazine test strips will continue to be distributed through the Overdose Prevention Program thanks to DDAP’s quick action to ensure continuity of care.
The Overdose Prevention Program operates under a hub-and-spoke model by providing free drug testing strips and naloxone to organizations throughout Pennsylvania known as overdose prevention partners. Once an organization becomes a partner, DDAP supplies the partner with overdose prevention supplies: fentanyl and xylazine test strips and/or naloxone. Partners then serve as “hubs,” creating a network of local access points for individuals, community-based groups, and others to get free overdose prevention supplies.
Partners include county drug and alcohol offices, health care providers, police departments, fire departments, recovery community organizations, and faith-based organizations.
Since the start of the Shapiro Administration, more than two million fentanyl and xylazine test strips have been distributed through the Overdose Prevention Program, helping to prevent fatal overdoses across Pennsylvania. In addition, there have been over 16,000 overdose reversals using DDAP-supplied naloxone statewide.
What Overdose Prevention Program Partners Are Saying About Test Strips
“We continue to work with participants who are concerned about the different adulterants in the drug supply. Many would like to avoid certain substances and use test strips and drug checking programs to help make informed decisions on their use,” said Shawn Westfahl, Prevention Point Philadelphia Overdose Prevention Coordinator.
“The Pennsylvania Overdose Prevention Program has been essential in supporting Sara’s House of Hope’s mission to help and strengthen families affected by substance use and loss. Through this partnership, we have expanded access to naloxone and fentanyl test strips, equipping individuals and families with lifesaving tools,” said Lori Mishler, founder, Sara’s House of Hope.
“The Pennsylvania Overdose Prevention program provides the necessary resources for the Allegheny County Health Department’s Overdose Prevention Program to save lives and prevent overdose deaths. The numerous partners we distribute naloxone and test strips to attest to the critical value of having these available not only to save lives, but to reduce stigma, educate and strengthen communities,” said Katie Wooten, Allegheny County Health Department’s Overdose Prevention Program Manager.
“One individual reported they found fentanyl in the product they tested using the fentanyl testing strips provided to them through this program and they changed their use to stay alive,” said Katelyn Becker, Franklin/Fulton Drug and Alcohol Program Prevention Specialist.
24/7 Help
All overdose prevention partners can be located through DDAP’s website.
Individuals seeking substance use treatment or recovery supports can be connected to local SUD resources by calling the toll-free PA Get Help Now helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or by using Treatment Atlas, a free, online or smart phone locator tool to help Pennsylvanians confidentially find SUD treatment that meets their needs.
In addition, local treatment programs are administered through county drug and alcohol offices called Single County Authorities. These programs can help with treatment funding, assess the need for treatment or other services, and make referrals to match treatment and/or service needs.
Learn more about the Shapiro Administration’s overdose prevention efforts at ddap.pa.gov.