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McLennan County cuts jail pharmacy spending as doomsday deal devolves

The McLennan County Jail claims to have saved $1 million this year by prescribing fewer antipsychotic medications and other pharmacy costs. Reports KWTX.com, "In February 2010, pharmacy costs at the jail were $54,619. In September 2010, expenditures were down to $17,372." While I'm certain there's a great deal of waste on the pharmaceutical side of carceral healthcare, that's a 68% reduction, which seems like an astonishing number.I wonder: Who can or more importantly will evaluate whether those reductions were medically justified or merely economically convenient? The Commission on Jail Standards doesn't have staff with medical training to evaluate such things. Unless there's a federal civil rights complaint and DOJ investigates, I can't even think who might look into such a thing...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on December 29, 2010 (boomark / email).