Jacksonville City Council passed a bill Tuesday that will put $1.4 million dollars toward a six-month pilot program to help treat opioid addiction.
Councilman Bill Gulliford asked for emergency approval of the bill, saying that “people are dying.”
The intervention program was developed by Dr. Raymond Pomm, medical director of Gateway Community Services and River Region Human Services, which are addiction treatment centers.
The program starts the intervention in the hospital emergency room for those who have overdosed. Trained peer specialists will coordinate recovery, detox and follow-up services. Through the pilot, patients will be tested for fentanyl to better track its use in the community.
