SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - A Washington county’s program expansion gives more people access to methadone while they work toward overcoming addictions to heroin and opiates.
The Spokesman-Review reports (https://bit.ly/2lxbKfL) Spokane County commissioners decided in January to add 142 spots for Medicaid patients.
Spokane County Jail inmates will also be able to receive treatment through the program under a contract made possible after the Drug Enforcement Administration relaxed regulations regarding methadone.
Methadone is given to opioid addicts to help lessen withdrawal symptoms.
Data shows the number of opioid deaths in 2016 at 63 people compared to 36 in 2014.
Commissioner Shelly O’Quinn said the county has asked lawmakers to approve $130,000 to fund treatment for 130 people who do not have Medicaid.
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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, https://www.spokesman.com
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