RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Gov. Roy Cooper says carrying out an updated action plan against opioid addiction and abuse in North Carolina will help reduce suffering for more victims and their families, as data shows recent improvements fighting the problems.
Cooper unveiled the second edition of the “NC Opioid Action Plan” on Tuesday at the state’s Opioid Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit in Raleigh.
The first plan was released in 2017, and Cooper’s office says since that year opioid dispensing and emergency department visits for opioid overdoses have declined. Cooper’s office says $54 million in federal funding also have provided substance use disorder treatment for over 12,000 people.
The new action plan includes successful local strategies and urges the “Medicaid coverage gap” be closed. Cooper says treatment access would improve if legislators expand Medicaid.
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