Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) and Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience Pennsylvania (CODE PA) have teamed up to transform how Pennsylvania’s Overdose Prevention Program is getting life-saving resources, like naloxone, into communities faster and more efficiently across Pennsylvania.
DDAP’s Overdose Prevention Program plays a critical role in getting naloxone and other overdose prevention supplies – at no cost - into the hands of Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth.
“The Shapiro Administration is committed to using every tool available to address the overdose and opioid crises,” said DDAP Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones. “This partnership with CODE PA means that our Overdose Prevention Program is operating more efficiently and effectively – ultimately saving more lives.”
Pennsylvania’s Overdose Prevention Program is Working
The program works by providing overdose prevention supplies to organizations throughout Pennsylvania known as overdose prevention partners. The partners serve as “hubs,” creating a network of local access points for individuals, community-based groups, and others – known as the “spokes” - to get free naloxone and test strips to check drugs for xylazine and fentanyl. The organizations that act as the spokes are responsible for putting the overdose prevention supplies directly into the hands of people at risk of overdose, their loved ones, and frontline providers.
There are nearly 100 overdose prevention partners serving as regional hubs across all 67 counties. This model has created a statewide safety net that is both efficient and equitable, reaching every county, building strong partnerships, and ultimately saving lives.
“Pennsylvania’s Overdose Prevention Program has been instrumental in supporting our overdose response efforts by providing critical resources such as naloxone and educational materials,” said Jason Campbell, South Central EMS Chief. “These tools have enhanced our ability to respond quickly and effectively to overdoses, strengthened community outreach, and fostered collaboration with local partners. As a result, we've improved outcomes, increased awareness, and helped save lives across the communities we serve.”
In just the first six months of 2025, more than 415,000 doses of naloxone and nearly 437,000 fentanyl and xylazine test strips were distributed. Behind those numbers are lives saved; during that same timeframe, organizations reported more than 6,100 overdose reversals linked to naloxone from this program.
Real Improvements Means Real Results
The DDAP and CODE PA partnership is making it easier for the overdose prevention partners to navigate the program and the ordering process.
“CODE PA is honored to have a role in supporting this live-saving program and giving Pennsylvanians a second chance at a future without substance use disorder,” said Bry Pardoe, Executive Director of CODE PA. “This project leveraged in-house expertise at CODE PA and technologies already available within the Commonwealth to deliver significant improvements to the Overdose Prevention Program quickly and at no cost.”
By creating more streamlined ordering forms, building a clearer, easily accessible “front door” to the ordering webpage, and instituting a system in which ordering data is captured in real time, these measurable improvements have been providing real results by:
- cutting down on manual entry time by 50 percent;
- making the program’s website content easier for the prevention partners and the general public by lowering the reading level difficulty by 30 percent; and
- significantly improving, by 15 percent, how the program shows up in web searches.
“The Overdose Prevention Program has been a game-changer in our fight against the opioid epidemic. It's a significant strength for us to be able to provide these items free of charge to community members and organizations, helping them support their local communities,” said Rasheeda Williamson, Population Health Manager of Delco Revive, Delaware County Health Department. “The ordering process is also straightforward and organized, making it easy to obtain the supplies.”
Learn more about the Shapiro Administration’s substance use disorder initiatives and resources on DDAP’s website.
CODE PA’s work to make Pennsylvania’s digital services more human-centered, user-friendly, and accessible can be found at CODE.pa.gov.
# # #