Avoid Formularies and Blanket Policies
When detainees come into the jail, their medications should be reviewed and communicated to the practitioner to decide what will be continued, modified, or discontinued. A medication verification should be performed for all medications brought into the jail, even if staff believes a medication may not be approved for the detainee.
Avoid formulary-based prescribing
A formulary, or a list of approved medications, can limit medical care options in the correctional setting. Based on a detainee’s 8th Amendment right to access to care, practitioners should be able to prescribe what they believe is indicated for any clinical situation. Avoid formulary-based prescribing.
Write policies you can follow
Perhaps you think that while a practitioner should be able to prescribe what they believe is right for the patient, your facility will not allow certain medications or treatments. Write policies you can follow by avoiding blanket policies that create rules such as “we are a no-narcotic facility” or “we don’t prescribe sleep medications”. If you have concerns about a medication or treatment being used in your facility, communicate with the medical team and discuss your thoughts on safety and security as they affect health care delivery.
Personalize medical care in your jail
You should not be relying on standing orders or protocols to dictate medical care, and your medical team should be available 24/7. When a standing order or set protocols are used, it sends the message that all detainees are the same and don’t require a personalized approach to their medical care. The goal should be to personalize medical care in your jail. At the end of the day, doing the right thing for the right patient at the right time is a winning strategy.
If you would like additional information, please email training@sparktraining.us.
All materials have been prepared for general information purposes only. The information presented should be treated as guidelines, not rules. The information presented is not intended to establish a standard of medical care and is not a substitute for common sense. The information presented is not legal advice, is not to be acted on as such, may not be current, and is subject to change without notice. Each situation should be addressed on a case-by-case basis.