Pharmacy Corner
RESOURCES FOR PHARMACY

“Many pharmacy-related functions simply couldn’t be done by the nurses, so certain services and products had to be contracted out or purchased from an outside source. I think that when the government looked at that situation they realized it would be more efficient and costeffective for a Pharmacist to provide these services on site. That’s why I was hired, and it seems to be working well for everyone.”

Although Alberta allows all eligible Pharmacists a certain amount of prescriptive authority (they can extend existing therapies, adapt or adjust prescribed orders as necessary and provide medications in an emergency when there is no other prescriber) Kory says that having a pharmacist authorized to initiate new therapies would be a great help in this environment.

“There are times when no physician is available. Having another person on staff who can prescribe would reduce the workload for doctors, and the wait times for patients. Ultimately, it would improve the level of care, and I’m looking forward to the day when I have advanced prescriptive authority.”

Surprisingly, Kory views his job at the Remand Centre as being much like that of any other hospital pharmacist. But he does admit that working in a corrections facility offers a view of the world most pharmacists would never experience.

“We have several people here with HIV, alcohol-related issues, and a number of inmates on methadone maintenance. We also see some serious infections because of the high-risk lifestyle these individuals lead.”

“And downstairs in Admissions, where the inmates are processed, is a pretty intimidating place. It’s our triage area, almost like a MASH unit, where we assess the healthcare needs of inmates as they come in. Offenders often arrive with serious injuries -- plenty of police dog bites, broken bones and bruises from car chases, you name it. To a large extent Admissions also functions as an Emergency ward. It can get crazy sometimes.”

While there are some obvious security differences between working in a hospital pharmacy and a jail, some security situations you’d never think of. For example, when an inmate goes down to the healthcare unit to receive a dose of methadone he’s pat-searched when he arrives, closely watched for half an hour after the treatment, then pat-searched again before he goes back upstairs. Why? Kory’s explanation would shock the average person.

“Inmates have attempted to conceal any kind of container, such as an empty toothpaste tube or even a rubber glove, then regurgitate and recover their methadone to be sold or bartered to another inmate. Methadone is a valuable commodity in here, and we need to ensure it’s not abused. Also, you’ll notice there are no IV stands or liquid hand sanitizers in any inmate areas. IV stands can be used as weapons, and hand sanitizer contains alcohol. Inmates could potentially drink it or burn it.”

Does Kory ever worry about his personal safety?