Officials: 11 Died From Drug Overdoses Over Thanksgiving Weekend In Delaware
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf gave an update Tuesday on what his administration is doing to fight opioid abuse as 11 people died from drug overdoses over Thanksgiving weekend in the neighboring state of Delaware.
Governor Wolf stopped by the Independence Blue Cross Foundation in Philadelphia to talk about the state's opioid epidemic.
"To make people understand how big a crisis this is for all of us in Pennsylvania," he said.
Wolf says the state is working with doctors to spot and help opioid addicts.
"We've redesigned the prescription drug monitoring program," he said. "This is really important. It helps doctors note if they are being shopped. It helps pharmacists know if someone coming into a pharmacy actually might have a problem."
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According to health officials in Delaware, 11 people died from overdoses over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Wolf says health care is a big part of the war against opioid abuse.
"We've expanded and worked to protect medicaid, there are 120,000 people who are now getting care for substance use disorder," he said.
Wolf adds even though his administration has come a long way in the fight against opioid abuse, they still have a ways to go.
"Until we really address the stigma issue, we're going to have people who have this disease who don't get the treatment they really ought to get," he said.