Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, says nine medical professionals have signed up to take a training course so they can be certified to prescribe Buprenorphine, an office-based treatment for opioid use disorders.

Assemblywoman Russell said Saturday's training course in Alexandria Bay stemmed from conversations she had about heroin and opioid addiction issues with recovery and treatment providers.

Russell’s “River District” includes all St. Lawrence County towns along the St. Lawrence River plus Canton and Potsdam.

"They have repeatedly told me there are a lack of providers available for those in recovery; physicians who can prescribe medications that have proven successful in preventing people from falling back into the spiral of heroin addiction," she said.

The training course, sponsored by Assemblywoman Russell, is being co-sponsored by the Alliance for Better Communities, Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization and North Country Initiative.

There are just three physicians in Jefferson County who currently are certified to prescribe the medication, and two of the doctors, including one working for the CREDO treatment program, can only prescribe to patients in their programs.

Buprenorphine is a medication-based treatment used to help people quit or reduce their use of heroin or other opioids. When used in its prescribed dosages, Buprenorphine can assist patients in coping with the physically challenging side effects related to withdrawal from an opioid addiction.

Physicians who complete the eight-hour course, which includes 3.75 hours of online training, and pass an examination will be granted the waiver to prescribe Buprenorphine.

"In addition to several physicians, we also have medical professionals taking the course this weekend in anticipation that in the not so distant future the federal government will be changing its regulations to allow physician assistants and nurse practitioners to dispense Buprenorphine," she said.

Assemblywoman Russell said she feels it is important to take steps to address the heroin issues outside the parameters of the legislative process.

"A number of bills have been introduced in the state Assembly this legislative session, including two bills I am carrying," she said.

"I have introduced legislation (A10492) that would require members of the New York State Police and sheriff and city police departments to be trained in the use of a medication that reverses an opioid overdose. The officers would also be required to carry the medication in their patrol vehicles," according to Assemblywoman Russell.

She noted she has also introduced a bill (A10062) aimed at improving tracking deaths from heroin and opioid abuse in New York State.

Assemblywoman Russell said data available on the state's heroin and opioid epidemic currently varies from county to county.

The bill introduced by Assemblywoman Russell would require the data to include the actual number of deaths year by year and county by county over a five-year period. It would also include information on pre-hospital services and emergency room visits related to heroin and opioid abuse.

"I know there are a number of other important bills addressing the issue that have been introduced by my colleagues in the state Assembly as well as a package that has the support of the majority in the state senate. I remain cautiously optimistic the two houses will reach agreement on legislation that can gain the necessary support before this session ends next week," Assemblywoman Russell said.

The Assembly has already allocated well over $20 million to fight the heroin and opioid epidemic, including $25 million to the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services to implement a heroin and opiate treatment prevention package and $1 million for the state's Department of Environmental Conservation to conduct locally and federally approved drug collection programs that will result in the purchase and distribution of tamper-proof drug collection boxes.

But she stressed legislation will still remain just one part of her effort to play a leadership role in combatting the heroin epidemic in the North Country.

She pointed out, for example, that in addition to working to find more medical providers for those abusing opiates she has also worked to provide funding to police agencies in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties to assist their crime fighting efforts.

She has secured $375,000 for local law enforcement in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties since 2009, including $25,000 for the Massena Police Department.

Local police and sheriff’s departments have used this funding to purchase vehicles, computers and equipment used for drug investigations.

“Making our communities safe has always been a top priority of mine,” Assemblywoman Russell said.

“It’s imperative that local police departments have the resources they need to do their job effectively so that our families can feel safe in their homes, especially with the on-going drug epidemic. I will continue working closely with local officials to secure additional funding and help ensure public safety,” she said.

Heroin and opioid abuse has become a top area of concern for both public health officials and police departments in recent years.

According to a 2015 report conducted by the New York State Department of Health, there were 236 opioid-related emergency department admissions in 2014 in Jefferson County, a 300 percent increase from 2010. There were 177 admissions In St. Lawrence County, a 108 percent increase from 2010.

"Law enforcement can only be one of many tools we will need to use if we are going to have any success in our effort to reduce the magnitude of this crisis in our region, the state and the nation. It is clear continued education efforts and providing the necessary resources to addicts that want treatment are among the other critical elements in this effort," she added.

“We need to take a comprehensive approach to address the problem of opioid addiction in our community,” Assemblywoman Russell said. “By providing training and resources to law enforcement and public health officials, we can work together to help our communities deal effectively in addressing this problem.”