Vials of naloxone, which can be used to counter the effects of an opioid overdose.
Pima County officials have created the “Make the Call” campaign after receiving the first installment of a legal settlement with pharmaceutical companies and distributors.
The $48.5 million from the settlement will be distributed over the next 18 years.
Officials hope to collaborate with community organizations and local stakeholders to create initiatives that will address the current opioid crisis.
The settlement dollars may be used in the following ways:
- Treat Opioid Use Disorder
- Support People in Treatment and Recovery
- Connect People Who Need Help to the Health They Need (Connections to Care)
- Address the Needs of Criminal-Justice Involved Persons
- Address the Needs of Pregnant or Parenting Women and Their Families, Including Babies with Neonatal - - Abstinence Syndrome
- Prevent Over-Prescribing and Ensure Appropriate Prescribing and Dispensing of Opioids
- Prevent Misuse of Opioids
- Prevent Overdose Deaths and Other Harms
- First Responders
- Leadership, Planning and Coordination
- Training
- Research
Deputy County Administrator and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia says the money will also be used to continue investing in fentanyl test strips and Narcan as ways to reduce overdose death.
“It is a drop in the bucket when you think about the scope, the size, the complexity of the problem. However, it is a start,” Garcia said.
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