Feds sue Pennsylvania court system over bans on opioid meds

Source: Associated Press

Feds sue Pennsylvania court system over bans on opioid meds

By CLAUDIA LAUER
February 25, 2022

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit accusing Pennsylvania’s judicial system of violating federal law, saying several lower court judges had barred defendants from taking prescribed medication to treat Opioid Use Disorder while in drug treatment courts.

The lawsuit comes weeks after attorneys from the department’s Civil Rights Division sent a letter to the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania. It cited at least three complaints from people being forced off their legal medications by courts in two Pennsylvania counties in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The lawsuit filed Thursday addresses the use of methadone, naltrexone and buprenorphine— including the brand name Suboxone— all of which are approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

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The lawsuit asks a judge to declare Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System is in violation of the ADA and require it to adopt a non-discrimination policy against people taking opioid treatment medications. It asks that policy explicitly state that all courts within its jurisdiction cannot exclude participation or deny access to programs such as treatment court or probationary programs.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-lawsuits-philadelphia-opioids-us-department-of-justice-17377a1fc16c1413b2886ce857206323