Paterson, USA
Improving access to critical opioid treatment
Each year, more than 1,700 opioid-related overdoses take place in Paterson, and residents experiencing opioid-use disorder face barriers to proper support: Treatment is available only at limited times each day and, while medically assisted treatment (MAT) is recommended, it’s offered less than 30 percent of the time. In response, the city is creating “RealFix,” a new program that will provide MAT onboarding and prescriptions to appropriate patients within 90 minutes, no matter the time or day.