Commentary

Louisiana Privatizing Correctional Pharmacy Services

Per the Daily Advertiser, Louisiana is privatizing pharmacy services in its state prisons to cut the costs of providing inmate medications in half:

Louisiana prisons are hiring an outside drug company to provide medication to inmates, rather than the two dozen pharmacists currently on staff.

The Civil Service Commission agreed Wednesday to let the state Department of Corrections privatize pharmacy services at all state-run adult prisons, as a way to save money.

Department Undersecretary Thomas Bickham says the move will cut the costs of providing medications to prisoners annually from $2.5 million to $1.2 million.

This is one of the recommendations of the Commission on Streamlining Government, discussed here.