San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed and the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) today announced the expansion of a successful pilot that will now immediately connect individuals who suffer from fentanyl addiction to a medical professional for on-demand buprenorphine prescriptions from 8 a.m. to midnight daily. The pilot program is one component of the City’s larger effort to mitigate the impact of the lethal drug fentanyl.
San Francisco is seeing substantially more people enter treatment and access lifesaving medication to curb substance use addiction than last year. As a result of expanded programming and outreach:
- 32% increase in methadone treatment admissions and 46% increase in buprenorphine prescriptions filled at the SFDPH Behavioral Health Services Pharmacy this year compared to the first eight months of 2023.
- Residential treatment admissions in Fiscal Year 2023-24 also increased 35% over the previous fiscal year.
Additionally, the City’s monthly accidental overdose report was released today, detailing the sixth consecutive month of decline of fatal overdoses in San Francisco. The City saw an approximate 20% decrease in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period of time in 2023, according to the preliminary findings from the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office.
“To continue to combat the fentanyl crisis and prevent overdose deaths, we need to double down on our efforts to expand treatment and services and hold those who are bringing fentanyl to San Francisco accountable,” said Mayor London Breed. “We are proud to see that our historical investments on behavioral health programs and public safety strategies are bringing results. We will not let up on taking strategic steps to save lives and enhance the quality of life of those who are dealing with addiction and the community at large.”
San Francisco residents who use fentanyl can now call the SFDPH Behavioral Health Access Line at 888-246-3333 daily between 8 a.m. and midnight to be connected to a medical provider and receive an immediate prescription for buprenorphine or a referral to a methadone program. Buprenorphine and methadone reduce the risk of death by approximately 50% and support individuals on a path to recovery and health. Navigation support for prescription pick-up and linkages to ongoing treatment and care are also available through this program.
San Francisco became the first county in the state to offer telehealth consultations and immediate buprenorphine prescriptions when the nighttime on demand medication treatment access pilot first launched in March 2024. The pilot provided people in the Tenderloin neighborhood telehealth calls with medical professionals between 8 p.m. and midnight for immediate access to medication treatment. The program announced today is the next iteration of the successful pilot and expands on demand access for medications for fentanyl use disorder to16-hours per day, 8 a.m. to midnight daily.
“On demand prescriptions to start medication treatment is what is needed to save lives. Leveraging telehealth and our street care teams, we have seen success in this pilot with more than 1,650 telehealth visits since March. This program makes it easier and more convenient for people to begin treatment and get the care they need,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, SFDPH Director of Health. “We continue to expand treatment options, make treatment more available and launch innovative programs that will prevent overdose deaths and get people into recovery.”
Since March 2024, the nighttime on demand medication treatment access program has facilitated more than 1,650 treatment calls with medical staff, resulting in approximately 40% of clients starting medication treatment for fentanyl use disorder.
SFDPH will pair interested telehealth clients with a patient navigator to coordinate ongoing treatment and care, including support picking up the initial buprenorphine prescriptions, assistance enrolling in a methadone program, entering residential treatment, and other support services.
“Our nighttime pilot shows that when medication treatment is made easier to access and comes along with supports to help people reach their goals, more people will choose to enter care,” said Dr. Hillary Kunins, SFDPH Director of Behavioral Health Services and Mental Health SF. “We are seeing the receipt of medications for fentanyl use disorder at more than double the national rate and when we can provide people a safe and stable shelter to start the medication that number is quadrupled.”
SFDPH makes substance use treatment accessible across its system of care, including in hospitals and 14 primary care clinics, more than 55 specialty clinics, permanent supportive housing, shelters and navigation centers, street-based settings, and the Jail Health program. In recent years, SFDPH has been aggressively growing substance use treatment options and removing barriers to treatment. The work has included launching new treatment programs, expanding hours at outpatient treatment facilities and access points, adding 400 residential treatment and care beds, and more the tripling the number of street care workers in the community outreaching to people who use drugs.
The SFDPH Behavioral Health Access Line is a 24/7 call center that serves as a central access point for substance use and mental health services. Beginning this week, the telephone line adds the option to virtually connect to a medical professional about medications for fentanyl use order.
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