The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has submitted its plan to use nearly $8 million in opioid settlement funds to the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee on Finance to support prevention, harm reduction, and capital projects to address the state’s opioid crisis. The money is part of the $400 million the state receives in annual installments through an agreement with major pharmaceutical firms. $130 million of the total amount goes to the state, while the remainder is provided to counties and municipalities. Priorities include:
$4 million to increase the availability of Narcan® and fentanyl test strips statewide via existing DHS programs .
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- $1.5 million to maintain the availability of Narcan® statewide via the DHS Narcan® Direct Program through community provider agencies.
- $500,000 to maintain a statewide distribution of fentanyl test strips via the DHS fentanyl test strip direct program through community providers.
- $1 million to sustain the EMS Leave Behind Program providing EMS agencies with Narcan® and fentanyl test strips.
- $750,000 to sustain the DHS Law Enforcement Narcan® Direct Program
- $250,000 to sustain providing fentanyl test strips to law enforcement agencies participating in the DHS Law Enforcement Narcan® Direct program.
- One-time capital projects ($3 million)
- Capital projects to expand prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and/or recovery services statewide.
- Prevention ($1 million)
- Implementation of K-12 evidence-based substance use prevention programming.
