House Human Services hearing examines bill to let Pennsylvania jails offer all FDA‑approved opioid treatments

Members of the Pennsylvania House Human Services Committee heard testimony Wednesday on House Bill 561, which would allow the state’s Act 80 jail‑based grant program to pay for all FDA‑approved medications for opioid use disorder (methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone) and related program costs.

Supporters told the committee expanding the grant flexibility could reduce overdoses after release and improve reentry outcomes by letting clinicians choose the medication that best fits each patient. ‘‘The decision about which medication to use should be made by the patient and the prescribing doctor, not by statute or stigma,’’ said Dr. Latika Davis Jones, secretary of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

Why it matters: People recently released from incarceration face sharply increased overdose risk, and several witnesses cited studies and local data showing jail‑based medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) can reduce overdose and recidivism. Testimony also stressed that current state Act 80 funding is restricted to Vivitrol (intramuscular naltrexone), which many clinicians and patients say is not an appropriate option for all individuals.

What witnesses said

• Dr. Latika Davis Jones, secretary, Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs: Dr. Jones described opioid use disorder as a chronic…