The opioid crisis continues to challenge communities across New York state, but regulatory changes are paving the way for expanded access to treatment. The changes are affecting care and those struggling with addiction.
The updates are helping New York state to make strides in combating opioids with significant funding aimed at expanding access to treatment.
The Coalition of Medication-Assisted Treatment Providers and Advocates symposium highlighted those efforts, showcasing a nine percent decrease in overdose deaths from April 2023 to March 2024, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Gov. Kathy Hochul in August announced over $335 million in settlement funds dedicated to enhancing addiction prevention, recovery services and harm reduction efforts statewide. The initiative includes distributing nearly 700,000 naloxone kits and millions of test strips for fentanyl and xylazine.
Key regulatory updates have removed the one-year opioid addiction history requirement for treatment admission, allowing more patients to access care sooner.
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are now authorized to prescribe medications for opioid use disorder, broadening the scope of providers who can deliver care. The changes extend to incarcerated individuals, offering better access through take-home medications and enhanced telehealth options.
Stakeholders at the symposium discussed overcoming stigma associated with opioid use disorder, and emphasized the importance of community engagement.
“We're entering a period where we hope that there will be an expansion of treatment, that more programs will be opening, that more mobile vans will operate within the programs,” said Mark Parrino, president of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence. “So we push out the ability for people to be treated in rural and underserved areas, because that's where the real problem exists.”
The symposium underscored the need for continued education and support for communities as part of the pivotal next steps in addressing the opioid crisis.