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Commissioners approve sheriff's request to seek controlled‑substance registration to store Suboxone and other medications on‑site
Summary
Tippecanoe County commissioners granted the sheriff permission to pursue an Indiana controlled‑substances registration that will allow the jail to store medications such as Suboxone, naloxone and other withdrawal‑treatment drugs on site to avoid deputies making off‑site pharmacy trips and to expand treatment capacity.
Tippecanoe County commissioners voted May 5 to acknowledge receipt of a request from the sheriff and to grant approval for the sheriff to apply for an Indiana controlled‑substances registration enabling the county jail to store certain medications on site.
Sheriff Goldsmith told the board the registration would let the jail hold medications used to treat withdrawal — including Suboxone and naloxone — and medications for alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal. He said treatment is currently provided to pregnant detainees and that deputies must now travel to a CVS a few times a week to pick up medication. With the registration and appropriate secured storage, the jail would keep required medications in a locked container behind a locked door in coordination with nursing staff at the correctional center.
County legal staff noted that the registration requires naming a responsible person for controlled substances; the sheriff and jail staff said they would coordinate with the correctional center’s nursing staff and ensure pharmacy‑manager fields are consistent with state requirements. The board approved a motion to acknowledge receipt of the document and to grant approval for the sheriff to apply for the registration. The motion passed by voice vote.
Commissioners and staff characterized the vote as an operational authorization for the sheriff to proceed with an application to the state and to document the county’s awareness and support of the application. No county budget appropriation was requested at the meeting; the sheriff noted the change would reduce deputies’ time spent retrieving medications and could allow the facility to house and treat more detainees as appropriate.
