Pennsylvania Allows County Jails To Expand Available Medication Assisted Treatment Options

Pennsylvania authorized county jails to expand allowable uses of millions of dollars previously dedicated to a single addiction medication to now cover a broader range of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments for incarcerated individuals with substance use disorders (SUD). The change, enacted through Fiscal Code amendments accompanying the state’s 2025-26 budget, allows previously uncommitted funds and Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26-appropriated funds from a decade-old program to support medications like methadone and buprenorphine (Suboxone) in addition to naltrexone (Vivitrol).

The original 2015 program focused exclusively on naltrexone as a non-narcotic SUD treatment option . . .