Pharmacy Corner
RESOURCES FOR PHARMACY

“Security is the first consideration in a place like this, and the Corrections Officers do an incredible job of safeguarding not just the staff, but the inmates themselves. There’s a tremendous sense of teamwork -- we’re in an unusual situation, and we have to be able to count on each other. I’d say, for the most part, the inmates respect me and the other healthcare staff here. After all, they know we’re just trying to help them.”

Besides having a unique job, Kory Sloan also has a very special opportunity to influence the future of Pharmacy in the Corrections system in Canada. The Edmonton Remand Centre was built in the 1970s to house about 300 inmates, but the current population is nearly 3 times that high. That’s why the government is building a brand new state-ofthe- art facility to replace the current one, and Kory has been given a significant role in designing the Pharmacy department at the new site.

“We’re planning a larger pharmacy facility with more personnel, a central automated drug distribution system, and as much technology as possible,” he says. “I’m hoping they’ll also add a technician to this practice so I’ll have more time to do clinical work. I think that proper disease management and pharmaceutical education for offenders would help lessen their dependence on services such as emergency departments once they’re back on the street. Right now it’s all just in the planning stages, but it’s very exciting to be in on the ground floor of a development like this.”

Kory reiterates that the future could hold tremendous potential for young hospital pharmacists in the Federal and Provincial Corrections area.

“It’s a great job, a brand new kind of practice in Canada, with all the rewards of Pharmacy plus the excitement of working in a unique and challenging environment. There’s a fantastic opportunity to break new ground here, establish policy, and influence the future of pharmacy in corrections. Frankly, nearly everything we do here breaks new ground.”