Cody Wenthur and Jay Ford, associate professors in the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy, are leading the launch of the Wisconsin Opioid Overdose Response Center, or WOORC, according to a recent announcement.
The regional center, to be based at the School of Pharmacy, will combat the opioid crisis with a special focus on fentanyl, which accounts for over 75% of annual opioid overdose deaths. In March, the U.S. Senate approved a $2 million appropriations request by Sen. Tammy Baldwin as part of the fiscal year 2024 appropriations package to fund the launch of the center.
Between October 2024 and September 2025, Ford and Wenthur will get WOORC up and running so it can begin to provide community pharmacies around Wisconsin with resources including educational information on treating overdoses, life-saving naloxone, and fentanyl testing strips. The central aim for WOORC is to use pharmacies to increase patient access to treatments for opioid use disorder and opioid overdoses.
Ford and Wenthur are currently connecting with pharmacies and health care professionals across the state to help launch the center’s programs and initiatives, including key partner the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin. The statewide organization representing pharmacists will support WOORC’s educational and communication goals, as well as extend its reach among Wisconsin practitioners.
