"If somebody needs medical attention, we're definitely going to provide it but we keep a running account," Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said.
Harrison is asking for more than $1 million in next year's budget just for health care.
"Our budget is $1.3 million for health costs for next year mainly because our inmate population is averaging over 200 a day from what it was last year," Harrison said.
The state is required to give the sheriff's office $40 a day to house inmates at the Wake County detention facility -- that amount includes medical costs.
Wake County commissioner Tony Gurley, a former pharmacist, says prescription drugs for inmates make up a sizeable portion of their medical expenses.
"Prescription drugs have increased about three times the rate of the general rate of inflation. It's a very expensive proposition," Gurley said.
Gurley is working to see if the state Department of Health and Human Services can work with county inmates. Harrison has implemented a $10 copay for inmates wanting to see a doctor or a nurse.
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