Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Appoints New Methadone Death and Incident Review Team

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Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs

Apr 10, 2013, 11:28 ET

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Gary Tennis announced several appointments today to the new Methadone Death and Incident Review team.

Signed into law by Governor Corbett on Oct. 24, 2012, Act 148 created the Methadone Death and Incident Review Team, which recently started meeting monthly to review and examine the circumstances surrounding methadone-related deaths and methadone-related incidents in Pennsylvania for the purpose of promoting safety, reducing methadone-related deaths and incidents, and improving treatment practices.

Tennis appointed the following members to the team:

  • Thomas C. Armstrong, Dauphin County
  • Glen J. Cooper, Berks County
  • Scott M. Grim, Lehigh County
  • Jim Martin, Lehigh County
  • Dr. Kenneth Martz, Montgomery County
  • Debra Washburn-Murray, Northampton County
  • Stephen B. Roman, Butler County
  • William Stauffer, Lehigh County
  • Dr. S. Anthony Stile, Westmoreland County

"While we know methadone-assisted treatment plays a significant role in Pennsylvania's treatment delivery system, we've encountered broad public concern about the number of methadone-related deaths and serious incidents occurring in the commonwealth," Tennis said.

"This team's mandate is to get the facts, and to make the necessary improvements in the system to ensure methadone practice – whether used for treatment in clinics or as a prescription for pain in doctors' offices – is being conducted as safely and responsibly as possible," Tennis continued.

In addition to reviewing incident information statutorily required to be reported to the department, the team is working in collaboration with county coroners and medical examiners, as well as district attorneys, EMS providers and other parties, to develop a comprehensive reporting process that will gather additional information for the team's analysis.

For more information on the team, visit www.ddap.pa.gov.

Media contact:  Christine Cronkright, Governor's Press Office, 717-783-1116

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs

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