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<p>DALLAS &#8212;Ten people die a day from opioid overdoses, State Secretary of Health Karen Murphy said at a informational forum on the state&#8217;s opioid crisis at Misericordia University on Friday.</p><p>Murphy outlined initiatives to combat the statewide opioid crisis and how the problem began in a hour-long presentation titled &#8220;Opioid Crisis in Pennsylvania&#8221; in the Sandy and Marlene Insalaco Hall at Misericordia University.</p><p>The Wyoming Valley made national news recently when NBC featured Luzerne County as one of the worst places in the country for drug overdoses, Murphy said.</p><p>&#8220;I can tell you throughout the state there is not one county in 67 counties in Pennsylvania that do not have a dire drug problem,&#8221; she said.</p><p>&#8220;In 2015, there were over 3,000 drug-related deaths in Pennsylvania,&#8221; Murphy said to more than 100 healthcare professionals, legislators, residents and students. &#8220;We think that number has dramatically increased in 2016.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;When I talk about opioids, I am really talking about heroin in a pill form.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Opioid addiction</strong></p><p>Twenty years ago, the opioid crisis began when the healthcare industry placed emphasis on identifying and managing a patient&#8217;s pain by prescribing opioids, she said.</p><p>Murphy said before that a person with an orthopedic injury might receive six opioid pills. In the 1990s, procedures changed and a patient with the same injury was given 45 opioid pills.</p><p>At the time, pain management professionals informed medical professionals not to worry about opioid addiction &#8220;for anyone with true pain,&#8221; Murphy said.</p><p>The highly addictive nature of the pills was overlooked.</p><p>&#8220;If we all took one pill four times a day for 30 days that on that 31-day we would all be outside looking for looking for opioids,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Murphy said treating the addiction is not enough, citing opioids create a physiological change in how the brain works and processes messages.</p><p><strong>Initiatives</strong></p><p>Murphy said combating the addiction crisis will take time, but a task force involving many state and federal agencies is taking aim to address the issue.</p><p>Also, many initiatives are formed to fight the growing epidemic, including educating nursing students, physicians and other healthcare professionals about &#8220;evidence-based guidelines&#8221; on how to prescribe opioids, she said. Medical schools are required to integrate this information into the curriculum, Murphy said.</p><p>Doctors who prescribe opioids must check a database called Prescription Drug Monitoring Program that has all the scheduled drugs dispensed in the commonwealth and surrounding states, she said.</p><p>Murphy said a standing order recently signed by Gov. Tom Wolf will allow anyone to acquire Naloxone, a drug used to reverse overdoses, she said.</p><p>&#8220;Naloxone is safe and effective,&#8221; Murphy said. &#8220;The nasal spray takes two seconds to work.&#8221;</p><p>A new initiative called &#8220;Warm Hand-Off&#8221; will encourage emergency room personnel to help addicts enter treatment programs rather than being discharged after recovering from an overdose.</p><p>Murphy also advises anyone with unused portions of opioid prescriptions at home to dispose of the drug by contacting their local law enforcement agency or pharmacy.</p><p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t give an uplifting message,&#8221; Murphy said. &#8220;But it is a sobering message.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The State Secretary of Health Karen Murphy hosted a public forum on opioid abuse called &#8220;Opioid Crisis in Pennsylvania&#8221; at Misericordia University in Dallas Friday morning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_TTL011417opioids1.jpg</photo0><caption0>The State Secretary of Health Karen Murphy hosted a public forum on opioid abuse called &#8220;Opioid Crisis in Pennsylvania&#8221; at Misericordia University in Dallas Friday morning. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimiee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_TTL011417opioids5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wilkes Barre Fire Chief Jay Delaney listens to information on prevention initiatives presented by the State Secretary of Health Karen Murphy at a public forum on opioid abuse at Misericordia University Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_TTL011417opioids5.jpg</photo1><caption1>Wilkes Barre Fire Chief Jay Delaney listens to information on prevention initiatives presented by the State Secretary of Health Karen Murphy at a public forum on opioid abuse at Misericordia University Friday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimiee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Eileen Godin</p><p>egodin@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Pa. Secretary of Health discusses opioid crisis cause and prevention tactics