By David Hurst
The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
SOMERSET, Pa. — Somerset County Jail’s medical treatment provider will start dispensing medication – and treatment – to some inmates suffering with opioid use disorder.
It’s part of a contract addendum between Somerset County and PrimeCare Medical approved this week.
PrimeCare would provide the daily medication – aligned with counseling services – to inmates who were already prescribed medications before they were jailed, commissioners said.
Prescription drugs such as suboxone, Vivitrol or methadone, which block the effects of opioids, are often part of Medication-Assisted Treatment programs.
“It’s just like with alcoholism,” Somerset County Commissioner Irv Kimmel Jr. said, noting that there can be harmful effects when someone who has been dependent on a substance for a long period suddenly stops taking that substance.
Somerset County commissioners said they’ve been discussing ways to add MAT to qualified inmates at the jail for the past six months.
Commissioner Pamela Tokar-Ickes said the county views the program as part of a continuation of health care the jail is obligated to provide.
On the company’s website, Harrisburg -based PrimeCare described the program as a “comprehensive approach” to addressing health and societal consequences of addiction within the correctional system.
“PrimeCare Medical provides Medication- assisted treatment (MAT) in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat SUDs, sustain recovery, prevent overdose, and improve patient wellness,” the company wrote.
“Research shows that MAT is clinically effective.”
PrimeCare will oversee Somerset County Jail’s entire program for up to 20 inmates, she said.
And steps would be in place to ensure an inmate was previously prescribed medication before being approved to receive it at the facility.
Cambria already has program
In Ebensburg, Cambria County also relies on PrimeCare to provide medication assisted treatment to inmates.
Cambria has offered various types of the program dating back to 2019.
Cambria Prison Warden Christian Smith said the county received funds to cover the program, whose expenses are reimbursed by a state agency on a rolling basis.
Smith said it has reduced the number of inmates the prison has had to detox – and the resources dedicated to that task.
“Mediation assisted treatment adds to the prison’s budget, but if those same inmates are detoxing (instead), there’s costs and complications with that, too,” he said. “Inmates who are detoxing also also require additional medical assistance, and they may be sick, vomiting or even hallucinating.”
And irritable inmates can be a danger to staff and safety.
Smith said the county has sought to be proactive about adding the program – one they hope to expand to additional inmates in the near future.
But for citizens who question whether prisons should spend money helping inmates overcome their addictions, there’s also another reason local jails are taking it seriously, Smith said.
Inmates or organizations supporting them have filed Americans with Disabilities Act lawsuits in other counties seeking the treatment in prisons. In several instances, they have won, Smith said.
“The Department of Justice is leaning (on prisons) to adapt,” Smith said, “and sooner or later, there will be consequences.”
Cambria County is working with PrimeCare on a separate program that would enable inmates who weren’t already receiving treatment through an outside prescriber to seek treatment in prison. An evaluation process would be required before an inmate could join the program, he added.
“We’re expecting it could double the number of inmates receiving treatment,” Smith said.
Somerset jail adding generator
Somerset County’s agreement with PrimeCare to add medication-assisted treatment was part of a larger addendum that will increase the total compensation for PrimeCare’s nursing staff by $94,885 over the life of their contract.
Tokar-Ickes said the addendum was added midway through a multi-year deal.
Like every other professional job, inflation has required salaries to be adjusted. Nurses certainly are no exception, she said.
The county separately approved a $224,735 modification to a contract with Harrisburg-based McClure Co. to add a new power generator at the jail.
Kimmel said the current one dates back to the 1980s and needs replaced.
Given the jail’s duty to safely secure and care for offenders, backup power is a must for the jail to operate as designed, he said.
The generator performed an energy audit for the county this summer and outlined a list of energy-saving projects the county could undertake. The company also oversees installation.
Tokar-Ickes, Kimmel and President Commissioner Brian Fochtman voted 3-0 to use a portion of the county’s remaining COVID-19- related American Rescue Plan funding to cover the generator’s cost.
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