The PA-SUN pilot started in 2022 and included 54 hospitals throughout the Commonwealth with participation in 93 technical assistance consultations to clinicians and health care teams on topics including, but not limited to, naloxone distribution and linkage to care. PA-SUN also provided 7,008 doses of free naloxone to emergency departments (ED)s for distribution to patients.
The PA-SUN pilot ended in August 2023 and developed into funding opportunities for emergency departments, community-based, and harm reduction organizations in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Substance Use Navigation Program Funding Opportunity
Emergency Departments
The Department released Request for Applications (RFA) #67-166 in November 2023 to support the design and implementation of ED navigation and linkage to care activities for patients at risk of overdose or those with substance use disorders. The goal of this funding is to promote and support ED linkage to care via multidisciplinary teams including navigators and enhance universal screening for opioid and stimulant use disorders. The following health systems in Pennsylvania were awarded funds:
- Allegheny Health Network (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Geisinger (Scranton, PA)
- Temple University Hospital (Philadelphia, PA)
- UPMC Health System (Pittsburgh, PA)
Community-Based Organizations
The Department released RFA #67-169 in February 2024 to promote the use of navigators in community-based organizations to facilitate linking people to care and other services. The goal of this funding is to increase utilization of navigators in community-based settings to link people to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, including medications for opioid use disorder and other treatment, harm reduction services, and services that support retention in care and recovery. The following community-based organizations in Pennsylvania were awarded funds:
- Men of the Community (Erie, PA)
- Public Health Management Corporation (Philadelphia, PA)
- Sage’s Army (Greensburg, PA)
Harm Reduction Organizations
The Department released RFA #67-170 in December 2023 to support the utilization of navigators to connect people who use drugs to services including overdose prevention and reversal tools, treatment options, drug checking equipment, and the development and expansion of overdose education and naloxone distribution programs that prioritize serving people who are at greatest risk of experiencing or witnessing an overdose. The goal of this funding is to promote and support increased capacity among harm reduction organizations to provide linkage to care services via navigators and expand overdose prevention education and naloxone distribution programs among people who use drugs. The following harm reduction organizations in Pennsylvania were awarded funds:
- ACG Health (Chester, PA)
- Courage Medicine (Philadelphia, PA)
- Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA)
- Lancaster Harm Reduction Project (Lancaster, PA)
- Lehigh Valley Health (Allentown, PA)
Learn more about successes of the PA-SUN program achieved between September 2024 and August 2025.
PA-SUN is currently being evaluated through the collection of evaluation data and focus groups. Check back later in 2026 for more information on the impact of PA-SUN.
Clinicians and Health Care Teams
- Recognizing the critical role health care teams play in curbing the overdose epidemic, the Department created education to assist providers and care teams, providing peer-reviewed online and on-site education modules that offer continuing education at no-cost. Learn more about the Comprehensive Approaches to Pain Management, Opioid Prescribing, and Substance Use Care curriculum.
- To aid emergency department teams in increasing knowledge on topics such as harm reduction, buprenorphine initiation, linkage to care, and stigma, asynchronous (self-study) education modules were created.
- Caring for People with Xylazine-Associated Wounds, Training for Clinicians: The Department and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, in collaboration with the Center for Forensic Science Research & Education, provided this training to clinicians on best practices for caring for individuals with xylazine-associated wounds. All presentations and materials are archived to access as on-demand content.
- Looking for additional resources and training opportunities? Visit the Department’s Clinical Resources page.
Non-Clinicians
- Caring for People with Xylazine-Associated Wounds, Training for Non-Clinicians: The Department and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, in collaboration with the Center for Forensic Science Research & Education, provided this training to non-clinicians on best practices for caring for individuals with xylazine-associated wounds. All presentations and materials are archived to access as on-demand content.
Linkage to Treatment
In Pennsylvania, local treatment programs are administered by county drug and alcohol offices called Single County Authorities.
- Pennsylvania Centers of Excellence for opioid use disorder coordinate care for Medicaid.
- ATLAS: Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standards Platform (Shatterproof)
- SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator (available in English and Spanish)
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
- Effective January 2023, a Buprenorphine Waiver (X-Waiver) is no longer required to treat patients for opioid use disorder. Buprenorphine remains a Schedule III controlled substance and prescriptions for buprenorphine require a standard DEA registration number. There are no longer limits or patient caps on the number of patients a provider may treat for OUD with buprenorphine. The DEA released a letter to announce new training requirements that will go into effect June 21, 2023. DEA and SAMHSA are developing training requirement guidance.
Naloxone
- Pennsylvania's naloxone standing order is a prescription written for the general public issued by Pennsylvania's Secretary of Health.
- Co-Pay Assistance: Pennsylvania residents who purchase naloxone using their insurance might be eligible to receive up to $50 to assist with the out-of-pocket cost. Patients may visit their local pharmacy to learn more about the Naloxone Copay Assistance Program Certificate.
- Mail-to-Home Naloxone Program (Individuals): Since 2020, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) provides Narcan® to support a statewide mail-to-home naloxone program for individuals to request medication for personal use through a partnership with Prevention Point Pittsburgh and NEXT Distro. More information about the program, including how to request a no-cost kit, is available here. For questions or more information about this program, please contact Prevention Point Pittsburgh’s Julia Hilbert at julia@pppgh.org.
- Get Supplies for Your Organization: The Overdose Prevention Program, administered by DDAP, provides overdose prevention supplies at no cost to organizations and groups through a network of local distribution partners.
- Emergency departments can play a vital role in distributing naloxone to patients. The Department developed a Naloxone Distribution in Emergency Departments Guide to promote naloxone distribution successes in emergency departments across Pennsylvania.
- Looking for additional resources? Visit the Department’s Clinical Resources page.