San Francisco is taking a significant step forward in public health for the incarcerated by opening a new pharmacy in County Jail #2. Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, alongside the Department of Public Health Jail Health Services (DPH JHS), Department of Public Works (DPW), and Department of Technology & Information Services (DTIS) severed the proverbial ribbon to inaugurate this facility. Funded by the Department of Health Care Services through the innovative CalAIM Justice Involved Initiative PATH Grant, the pharmacy is set to enhance health services and ensure continuity of care for those re-entering society.
"When we provide access and solutions to health care for our most challenged population, we are not only helping them on their path to re-entry into society, but we are potentially saving millions of dollars in unwanted future hospital visits and ambulance rides," Miyamoto stated, per the San Francisco Sheriff's Department. The new 600-square-foot pharmacy represents an exciting venture into reformative justice by offering a minimum 30-day supply of prescribed medications upon release, which could lower the possibility of treatment disruption.
Medical care in correctional facilities has long presented a complex logistical problem. The CalAIM Justice Involved Initiative is bridging a critical gap by covering services during the 90-day pre-release period, which includes Enhanced Care Management (ECM), peer support, and essential medications for a range of conditions. "This is about health equity," Dr. Lisa Pratt, JHS Director, told the San Francisco Sheriff's Department. "To help incarcerated individuals succeed and avoid returning to jail, we must connect them to treatment upon release."
Since last Tuesday's inception, the CalAIM Justice Involved Initiative has assessed over 190 individuals for eligibility. This figure is expected to surge to more than 4,000 per year, highlighting the substantial number of vulnerable community members who stand to benefit from these services. San Francisco is pioneering this approach, striving to set a national precedent and, as noted in the initiative's rollout plan, bring close to $10 million to the city through Medi-Cal billing.
