HHS awards $53M to address opioid epidemic

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $53 million in funding to help address the prescription opioid epidemic.

The funds were distributed to 44 states, four tribes, and the District of Columbia to improve treatment access, reduce deaths, and strengthen prevention programs. Data collection and analysis will also be supported.

The $53 million will support the following six programs:

1. Medication-Assisted Treatment Prescription Drug Opioid Addiction Grants, which expand access to medication-assisted treatment for people with opioid use disorder
2. Prescription Drug Opioid Overdose Prevention Grants, which provide training to prevent opioid overdose-related deaths as well as support the distribution of naloxone to first responders
3. Strategic Prevention Framework Partnerships for Prescription Drugs Grants, which are designed to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and to prevent overprescribing
4. Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States program, which provides supplemental funding to support state- or tribe-specific programs, such as prescription drug monitoring programs or programs to improve toxicology and drug screenings
5. Prescription Drug Overdose: Data-Driven Prevention Initiative, which advances state-level prevention activities, such as data collection
6. Enhanced State Surveillance of Opioid-Involved Morbidity and Mortality program, which provides funds to better track fatal and nonfatal overdoses