A new Louisiana law aimed at saving taxpayer dollars was passed in Caddo Parish on Thursday. It involves all the medication given to inmates at the Caddo Correctional Center. Taxpayers have been paying for name brand drugs, but if they are available, they will now be paying for generic.

Thursday, Caddo Commissioner Joyce Bowman, was one of seven commissioners who approved a new law, mandating that generic drugs are purchased whenever available.

"We've got to start taking a part in seeing what we can do to reduce the cost of medical, period,” said Bowman.

Bowman says when she joined the commission, seven years ago, medical costs at CCC were less than one million dollars. Since then, she says they have steadily increased.

"The medical cost has gone up over 2.5 million dollars," says Bowman.