KEROUAC WOULD APPROVE –

Feb. 23, 2023 – Bouchard also noted it’s the first mobile unit in Massachusetts to offer all three medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) — methadone, suboxone and vivitrol. 

Drug overdose deaths are on the rise in Worcester and the van will provide access to medication and mental health support that officials believe is desperately needed.  Worcester experienced a dramatic rise in fatal drug overdoses: 79 in 2022 compared to 34 in 2021, a 132% jump.  Those numbers are from the Worcester Police Department, according by Dr. Matilde Castiel, the city’s commissioner of  Health and Human Services. 

Earlier this month, Castiel said the state medical examiner needs to confirm the numbers and she believes the van will help reduce the city’s overdose crisis.

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