Inspectors press for PrimeCare medical protocol for MAT program, chair to send letter

Inspectors pressed PrimeCare, the jail’s contracted medical provider, to deliver a formal standard operating procedure (SOP) for the facility’s medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program and asked that a written response be provided before the board’s next meeting.

Board members said they want PrimeCare to provide medical oversight language and the full complement of services described in the county’s existing agreement rather than have initial intake and clinical determinations handled by nonmedical staff. One inspector said that initial intake decisions should come from medical doctors rather than correctional staff.

Inspectors discussed Vivitrol as the default injectable medication for the jail’s treatment plan; board members said injectables were the planned approach. The board asked that PrimeCare provide its SOP and related legal and medical review materials, and instructed that the county will send a formal letter asking for the materials. A speaker who identified themself as a meeting officer said the letter would be written on their personal letterhead but signed and noted in the capacity as president of the prison board.

There was no formal vote on the SOP; the board agreed to pursue the documentation and review it once received. The inspectors said they would expect the SOP to be available a week before the next meeting so the board could review it in advance.