Sep 12, 2018 3 min read

Washington County has the sixth-highest rate of hospitalizations for heroin overdoses in Pennsylvania, according to a study released today by an independent state agency.

In a two-year period encompassing 2016 and 2017, there were 37.9 hospitalizations per 100,000 Washington County residents for heroin overdoses, according to the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council. Of the commonwealth’s 67 counties, it was exceeded only by Philadelphia, Beaver, Delaware, Cambria and Bucks counties.

Greene County figures were not available due to the low volume of reports. The study also does not break down hospital admissions and emergency room visits.

In the same study, Washington County fared better when it came to hospitalizations for overdoses of pain medication. It finished 28th on the list, with 24.7 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in that category, with figures from Greene also not available. Fayette, Westmoreland and Lawrence counties in Western Pennsylvania finished seventh, eighth and 10th on that list, respectively.

Overall, the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council determined that the hospitalization rate for Pennsylvanians aged 55 or older increased by almost 36 percent between 2016 and 2017. The rate of hospital admissions for heroin overdoses increased by 12.5 percent across the board in that period, with lower-income residents experiencing an increase of almost 41 percent, and Hispanic residents seeing an increase of almost 49 percent.

Joe Martin, executive director of the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, said in a news release “opioid use is an ‘equal opportunity offender’ and affects all segments of Pennsylvania’s population; yet, some have been hit particularly hard. While Pennsylvania has made progress in curbing admissions for pain medication, heroin continues to be a significant challenge.”

If there’s a silver lining to be had in the rate of hospitalizations, it’s that patients can start receiving treatment for addiction, according to Cheryl Andrews, executive director of the Washington Drug and Alcohol Commission.

Andrews also explained individuals who have overdosed now largely understand they will likely not be subject to arrest if they go to the emergency room, and “hospitals are doing a fabulous job of doing a warm handover” to other agencies where addicts can receive help and assistance.

The study also found residents living in communities where the average household income dips below $30,000 a year had the highest hospitalization rate for heroin overdoses, with 40.5 per 100,000 residents, and the highest increase – 40 percent – between 2016 and 2017.

All told, there were 3,500 hospitalizations for opioid overdoses in 2017 in Pennsylvania, with 1,753 hospitalizations for heroin overdoses and 1,747 hospitalizations for overdoses of pain medication – virtually an even split. Pennsylvanians were hospitalized at a rate of 16.5 per 100,000 residents for overdoses of pain medications and heroin last year. It decreased by 2.4 percent from 2016 for pain medications, but increased by 12.5 percent for heroin overdoses.