Del. Riley Moore is excited to announce that through his work with the Jefferson Day Report Center and Alkermes plc, the manufacture of the anti-opioid drug Vivitrol, Jefferson County has been selected for a pilot program to administer Vivitrol as part of the county’s correctional recovery program. Inmates who voluntarily request Vivitrol upon release from the Eastern Regional Jail can now continue to receive this treatment at the Jefferson Day Report Center. As part of the program, Medical Director Ryan Wakim, MD, provides mental health and addiction services via telehealth. The follow-up care includes monthly injections combined with behavioral counseling.

Moore explained, “This was the first issue I undertook directly after being elected and it’s been in the making since the first of the year. This is exciting news for our community and will be another tool for addressing the opioid crisis in our region. Vivitrol is at the forefront of evolving treatments now available to heal communities.”

According to the manufactures, Vivitrol is the first and only non-addictive, once-monthly medication that, when combined with counseling, is proven to help prevent relapse to opioid dependence, after detox. Vivitrol blocks opioid receptors in the brain while you work with the psychological aspects of counseling.

In total, only five counties in West Virginia were chosen for this cutting edge pilot program. Through Delegate Moore’s advocacy efforts and conversations with the manufacture of Vivitrol, Jefferson County was selected as a participant county.

Executive Director of the Jefferson Day Report Center, Ronda Eddy stated, “The risk of a fatal overdose is highest for untreated inmates in the first two weeks of release from jail. If they don’t die of an overdose, they often reoffend for drug-related crimes. Addiction medications, like Vivitrol, have shown to be far more effective at helping people stop their drug use than counseling and group therapy programs that do not include medication.”