PSAM Supports Bipartisan Legislation Expanding Options for Treatment in County Jails

On October 21st, the Pennsylvania Society of Addiction Medicine (PSAM) sent a letter to Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman in support of HB 1515. This bipartisan bill would expand grant funding for county jails to establish programs providing all forms of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD). Currently, the grant program only applies to naltrexone.

In the letter, PSAM noted that MOUD is an evidence-based treatment for OUD, demonstrated to improve health outcomes. Specifically, PSAM emphasized the benefits of providing all forms of MOUD to persons in correctional facilities. The letter highlights that people with criminal-legal involvement are more likely to suffer adverse effects related to substance use, including significantly elevated rates of overdose upon release. Further, PSAM cited research indicating that providing MOUD decreases the negative effects of forced opioid withdrawals. Research also indicates that establishing MOUD treatment programs in carceral facilities reduces disciplinary tickets and increases the likelihood of treatment retention post-release. As such, PSAM praised HB 1515 as a beneficial, bipartisan effort to increase MOUD treatment options for incarcerated people.

Read the letter here.