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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 2015)
NORTH COAST THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 3A HeSatitis C drXg Fosts FhaOOenge ForreFtions EXdget By HILLARY BORRUD Capital Bureau Oregon faces budget-bust- ing costs for expensive new treatments for hepatitis C, and the issue is not limited to the state’s Medicaid program. The prison system also faces higher costs from a new drug that cures many people of the potentially deadly dis- ease, but costs the Depart- ment of Corrections roughly $70,000 per inmate for the 12-week treatment. The Leg- islature already approved an additional $3.2 million in a supplemental budget bill ear- lier this year to cover the drug Harvoni for inmates, after the number of inmates treat- ed rose sharply in December. The increase was also part of the reason the Legislature boosted the Department of Corrections’ latest two-year budget for medical supplies by nearly 32 percent . At the same time, it re- mains dif¿ cult for low-in- come people insured under the state’s Medicaid program, the Oregon Health Plan, to get approved for the newer hepa- titis C drugs unless they have reached the more advanced stages of the disease. Hepatitis C can eventually cause liver failure and cancer. The death rate from hepatitis C in Oregon has been higher than for HIV for more than a decade, and an average of 441 people died from the virus each year from 2009 to 2013, according to an epidemio- Courtesy of the state Department of Corrections Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla. The Department of Corrections faces the challenge of paying for expen- sive new treatments for hepatitis C. t logical report released by the Oregon Health Authority this year. A majority were men and people aged 45 to 64, and blacks and Native Americans were roughly twice as likely to die from the virus. Higher rate among inmates There is a higher preva- lence of hepatitis C among current and former inmates, and in Oregon researchers think that 30 percent of peo- ple in state prisons might have chronic hepatitis C infections, according to the report. Al- though many people were infected through pre-1992 blood transfusions, research- ers identi¿ ed injection drug use as the most common route of transmission for new hep- atitis C infections in Oregon. Nationally, young injection drug users who get the virus are white, live in rural areas and initially got hooked on prescription opiates. Wendy Smith, profession- al services administrator at the Department of Correc- tions, said the agency does not have a speci¿ c budget for Harvoni in the current two- year budget. However, the agency spends approximately $1.2 million per month on its pharmacy, Smith wrote in an email. A budget report by the Legislative )iscal Of¿ ce ear- lier this year said the average number of inmates receiving Harvoni rose from nine to 35 per month, which based on the cost provided by the agen- cy would translate to a month- ly cost of approximately $816,000 for Harvoni alone. The treatment usually takes 12 weeks to complete. µA signi¿ Fant Fost driver’ In a statement, Steve Rob- bins, the agency’s chief ¿ - nancial of¿ cer, said medical treatment “continues to be a signi¿ cant cost driver´ for the department. However, Rob- bins added, “The agency is c onstitutionally mandated to provide medically necessary care to a community standard, without regard to treatment cost. The use of Harvoni has become community standard as recommended by the Amer- ican Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and Infectious Diseases Soci- ety of America (IDSA).´ The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. The agency’s last two- year medical supply budget, which is mostly medication, started at $25.9 million and was ultimately increased to $30.4 million, in part because of the hepatitis C drug costs, Robbins wrote. The current two-year medical supply bud- get is $34.2 million. Robbins wrote that more inmates are also choosing the treatment because it does not have some of the side effects of earlier treatments. Without discounts, Harvoni can cost as much as $94,500 for a 12-week treatment, ac- cording to published news reports. Although the Depart- ment of Corrections is part of a large pharmaceutical buying consortium, it still appears to be paying more than the price at which drug manufacturer Gilead Sciences reportedly of- fered to sell the drug to Medic- aid patients in Oregon. A year ago, The Oregonian reported Gilead representa- tives said they offered the drug to Oregon at a price close to what Canada paid, $55,000 for the 12-week treatment. The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. Gearhart drug dealer sentenced to probation By KYLE SPURR The Daily Astorian A Gearhart drug dealer was sentenced to three years proba- tion last week after admitting to selling methamphetamine near Gearhart Elementary School. Leonard Shane Hitchman will face 80 months, or nearly seven years, in prison, if he vi- olates the probation. Hitchman, 45, appeared in Clatsop County Circuit Court Friday to change his plea, which canceled a trial sched- uled for today . He pleaded no contest to unlawful possession of methamphetamine and un- lawful delivery of metham- phetamine within 1,000 feet of a school. The meth possession charge was elevated to a commercial drug offense since Hitchman possessed more the $300, drug records and packaging materi- als. Clatsop County Sheriff’s Of¿ ce arrested Hitchman in February after a Clatsop Coun- ty Drug Task Force investiga- tion. Drug t ask f orce detectives received numerous complaints over several months regarding ongoing illegal drug activity at 166 Ridge Drive in Gearhart, according to the sheriff’s of- ¿ ce. Detectives were granted search warrants for Hitchman’s residence and his vehicle. During the search, detec- tives discovered metham- South coast of Washington reopens to recreational crabbing EO Media Group OLYMPIA — The rec- reational Dungeness crab ¿ shery along the southern Washington coast will re- open effective immediately, state shell¿ sh managers an- nounced Friday . With this action, the entire Washington coast is open for sport crabbing after elevated levels of domoic acid forced the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to close the crab ¿ sheries this sum- mer. The state opened the north- ern coast in late August, when toxin levels there dropped to safe levels. Marine toxin levels have continued to de- cline on the southern coast over the last month, said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shell- ¿ sh manager. Recent tests by the Washington Department of Health show crabs on the southern coast — from Point Chehalis south to the Colum- bia River — are also safe to eat. Domoic acid, a natural toxin produced by certain types of marine algae, can be harmful or even fatal if con- sumed in suf¿ cient quantities. Cooking or freezing does not destroy domoic acid in shell- ¿ sh. As usual, the use of crab pots is prohibited on the coast through Nov. 30, except in the Columbia River estuary, where pots are allowed year- round, Ayres said. Elsewhere along the coast, crabbers can use other gear, such as ring nets. The Department of Health will continue to test shell¿ sh in all coastal marine waters. Harvesters should check for closures on DOH’s shell¿ sh safety webpage at https:// fortress.wa.gov/doh/eh/maps/ biotoxin/biotoxin.html. More information about domoic acid can be found on WDFW’s webpage at http:// wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shell- ¿ sh/razorclams/domoicBacid. html. phetamine, drug traf¿ cking records, needles, scales and packaging materials common- ly used by illegal drug traf¿ ck- ers. In addition, detectives found more than $1,500 in cash and a weapon. The charges against Hitch- man occurred in December and in February. “When they served the search warrant, he had a lot of money in his safe at this home,´ P rosecutor Dawn Buz- zard said. “He had little bag- gies of drugs and he sold them to an undercover informant.´ Hitchman’s defense was that he won most of the cash in a lottery, and that he was just giving a ride to a woman who he was selling meth to. Buzzard said she was es- pecially concerned since this activity was happening close to the elementary school. “Kids go play in the play- ground right there. It should be a safe place,´ she said. Leonard Shane Hitchman Clatsop Commmunity College chan g ed this Astoria ma n’ s life Westport nursing assistant surrenders certi¿ cate The Daily Astorian Susan Ann Blazor, of Westport, voluntarily surren- dered her nursing assistant Ferti¿ Fate for failing to fol- low a care plan, which result- ed in an injury of a resident. The Oregon State Board of Nursing accepted Blazor’s voluntary request earlier this month. Blazor was issued her Visit us online at nursing assistant certi¿ cate by the state board in June 2014. In May , the board received information that Blazor was neglectful and failed to fol- low a care plan developed by a registered nurse, resulting in the injury of a resident. The board did not release where the incident took place. The board had the right to revoke or suspend Blazor’s license since her conduct was unbecoming to a nurs- ing assistant in the perfor- mance of duties. She coop- erated with the board and voluntarily surrendered her certificate. If, after a minimum of three years, Blazor wishes to reinstate her certi¿ cate, she can submit an application to the board to request reinstate- ment. W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Contact: Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500 G u ess w h a t d a y it is! It’s Hump’s Day!!! www. DailyAstorian. com No reservations, please AT HUMP’S RESTAURANT EV ERY W ED N ESD AY 5 -8 PM 14 OUN CE N EW Y ORK STEAK & BAK ED POTATO $9.95 M ust present coupon to server. N ot va lid w ith other offers. All You Can Eat Chicken & Dumplings- Thursdays 5-8 pm $6.95 Prime Rib Fridays- starts at 5pm $9.95 You Tube Just 15 m in. from the Lew is & Cla rk Bridge on H w y. 30 Hump’s Restaurant- 50 W. Columbia River Highway Clatskanie, OR. 503.728.2626 In the Great Recession, Chris Gustafson was out of work. He enrolled in Clatsop’s six-year-old program in Historic Restoration and Preservation. Today he operates his own window restoration business . Clatsop Community College is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. ADA accessible. N OW O PEN Frida y & Sa turda y 6a m -10pm Video For m ore in form a tion visit w w w.cla tso p cc.ed u
