Pennsylvania state courts ordered to allow opioid withdrawal medication

• A state court in Pennsylvania is being asked to allow someone on probation to continue taking medication for opioid withdrawal.
• The plaintiffs had previously been prohibited from taking these drugs, and some were experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms.
• The settlement includes provisions to train judges and court officials to prevent interference with medications such as methadone.

State courts in Pennsylvania will have to allow people on probation to continue taking medication for opioid withdrawal as part of a Justice Department settlement announced Thursday.

Several plaintiffs complained that they were prohibited from taking their medications. Rather than return to prison after her test came back positive, a woman in Jefferson County experienced severe withdrawal symptoms.

“Too many people have died and suffered under policies like this. But we are heartened to see that the court system has finally agreed to do the right thing. ” said her attorney, Sally Friedman, senior vice president of legal advocacy at the Department of Justice. action center new york.

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The settlement requires judges and court staff to be trained not to interfere with drug treatments such as buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone.

Federal officials said in a news release that Friedman’s client will share the $100,000 settlement with other plaintiffs.

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The settlement resolves complaints filed by the Department of Justice against several state court organizations and court systems in Blair, Jefferson, Lackawanna and Northumberland counties.