Policy Text
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MJ/RCCC
OPERATIONS ORDER
Medication Distribution “Pill Call”
The purpose of this Order is to standardize the distribution of regularly scheduled
medication to prisoners at the Main Jail and at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional
Center (RCCC).
I. Policy
Correctional Health Services s hall provide prisoners with medic ation on regularly
scheduled rounds referred to as “P ill Call”. Custody staff shal l not be involved in the
distribution process except to act, when necessary, as an escor t for Correctional Health
Services staff and to ensure the safety and security of the fac ility, staff, and prisoners.
II. Pill Call
A. Scheduled Pill Calls shall be conducted seven (7) days a wee k in all
housing units. Pill ca ll shall be scheduled at specific times a s designated
by health services staff.
B. The Pill Call nurse shall be re sponsible for ensuring the sa fekeeping of all
medications on the pill cart, and the nurse shall immediately a dvise
custody staff if the security of the pill cart has been comprom ised.
C. Correctional Health Services shall have the sole responsibil ity of
administering medications on the pill cart. Sheriff’s Departmen t personnel
shall not administer medication s of any type to a prisoner.
D. Health services staff shall generate a Court Pull list to as certain which
prisoners listed for court appearances are scheduled to receive
medication.
1. The nurse shall determine which prisoners require their medi cation
prior to going to court, and shall respond to the appropriate h ousing
unit to administer the medi cation to those prisoners.
2. If a prisoner misses pill call due to a court appearance or any other
reason other than a refusal of medication, the nurse shall resp ond
to the prisoner’s current locatio n to administer the appropriat e
medication.
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MJ/RCCC E. At the scheduled time, Pill Call will be announced by the ho using unit
officers into all cells, d ayrooms, and living areas.
1. In secure housing units, the prisoners may be lined up in an orderly
fashion at the entry point to their housing units to receive medications, or if applicable, t he medication may be administer ed
at each individual cell.
2. In non-secure dormitory style housing units, the prisoners s hall line
up in an orderly fashion at the entry point to their housing un its to
receive medication.
3. In acute medical and acute p sychiatric housing units, medica tions
will be administered at each individual cell.
4. In disciplinary housing units, medications will be administe red at
each individual cell.
5. Custody staff shall stand with and escort the Pill Call nurs e at all
times during Pill Call to ensure the security of the facility a nd staff
and to provide access to the prisoners.
F. The Pill Call nurse shall adm inister mediations after verify ing the identity of
the prisoner receiving medicati on. The identification will be m ade via the
name, picture, and X-Reference number on the prisoner’s identif ication
wristband.
1. If the prisoner does not hav e an identificatio n wristband, m edication
will not be administered until the identity of the prisoner is
confirmed by custody staff.
2. The prisoner shall immediately consume the dose of medicatio n in
its entirety in the presence of the nurse and custody staff unl ess the
prescription specifically states otherwise.
3. Custody staff shall visually inspect the mouth of prisoners after they
take a dose of medication to conf irm the medications are fully
consumed.
a. If the medication is not fully consumed, the prisoner will b e
directed to consume the medication.
b. Prisoners who attempt to hide or “cheek” their medications
may be subject to disciplinary action, and an Incident Report Detail (PF10) may be generated.
G. Prisoners who refuse medication shall be required to sign a “Refusal of
Prescribed Medication 1X” form pr ovided by health services staf f. If the
prisoner refuses to sign the form, the form shall be signed by a person
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MJ/RCCC other than the nurse as witness to the refusal. The signed, com pleted form
will be placed in the pris oner’s medical record.
1. Prisoners who refuse to leave their cells or cooperate with the
nurse for Pill Call will be consi dered as refusing their medica tion.
2. If the prisoner has court order ed administration of medicati on, and
does not have the right to refuse per the court order, custody staff
will give the prisoner the opport unity to take the court ordere d
medication willingly.
3. Any use of force to administer court ordered medication shal l be in
accordance with Operations Order 2/01, Use of Force.
III. Security and Safety Precautions
A. Facility security and safety p recautions for the respective housing units will
be adhered to with reasonable accommodations made to administer
medications.
B. Custody and health services personnel will use appropriate s afety and
protective equipment as needed, s uch as disposable gloves and f ace
masks.
C. If unauthorized or incorrect medication is taken by a prison er, the
Correction