A new jail pharmacy that promises better prescription access for incarcerated people has opened at San Francisco County Jail Number Two, the San Francisco County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies announced.
The new pharmacy, overseen by the Department of Public Health Jail Health Services, will serve over 14,000 people annually. The pharmacy can now provide a minimum 30-day supply of prescribed medications upon release, ensuring continuity of care and reducing the risk of treatment disruptions, the Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.
“This new pharmacy marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for our city and improves health services for the incarcerated,” Sheriff Paul Miyamoto said in a statement.
“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 said.
Funding for the 600-square-foot pharmacy was made possible by the Department of Health Care Services through the California Advancing and Innovating MediCal Justice-Involved Initiative PATH (Providing Access and Transforming Health) Grant, with California leading the way as the first state to receive approval for this initiative, the Sheriff’s Office said.
San Francisco’s Department of Public Works and Department of Technology & Information Services participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday with the Sheriff’s Office and other agencies.