South Central PA News

HARRISBURG – The state Senate today unanimously approved legislation introduced by Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33) that would ensure known or suspected drug overdoses treated by emergency medical services (EMS) providers are recorded in a statewide tracking system known as the Overdose Information Network (ODIN).

Sen. Doug Mastriano highlighted the importance of the bill, stating, "When EMS personnel encounter an overdose, that information doesn’t automatically go into the statewide tracking system." He emphasized the need to close the gap in data collection to provide health care professionals and law enforcement personnel with essential information.

Mastriano explained the significance of the statewide overdose mapping system, stating, “The statewide overdose mapping system can save lives by sharing important information with law enforcement and health care professionals on the front lines in this fight.” He added, “The ability to save lives is only as strong as the information in the system. My bill will strengthen the overdose tracking system and enable frontline personnel to save more lives.”

The approved Senate Bill 1054, introduced by Mastriano, would require the Department of Health to coordinate with the Pennsylvania State Police to ensure real-time overdose reporting by EMS providers is incorporated into the ODIN system. This legislation aims to enhance overdose tracking and improve the lifesaving response to such incidents.

According to Mastriano, the access to real-time data facilitated by the bill will help public officials ensure the availability of adequate overdose reversal drug supplies, enhance substance use outreach efforts, and support law enforcement investigations to disrupt sources of deadly substances. The ODIN system will also be able to send out overdose “spike alerts” in case of a high number of overdoses in a community, enabling timely intervention and resource allocation.

Mastriano’s Senate Bill 1054 will now move to the state House for consideration, as constituents of the 33rd Senatorial District can find more information about the Senator on his website at SenatorMastriano.com or by following him on Facebook at Facebook.com/SenatorDougMastriano.

For media inquiries, please contact Josh Herman at 717-787-4651.