How dangerous for pharmacist to work in jail?

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jmail

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Ive heard a lot of pharmacist do not want to work in a jail or prison due to their safety concerns.
Anybody here is working in a jail or a prison as a pharmacist?

1) Ive heard that when a pharmacist immunizes inmates the pharmacist is left with that inmate alone, is that true?
2) One of my customers is a priest and he used to work in a jail, I asked him why he quit and he replied that he was taken as a hostage by an inmate. And after that situation he figured it was too much for him so he quit. How often do situations like that happen in jails/prisons?

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Tips:
1) Get big.. there's a reason prisoners spend a lot of free time working out
2) Hit First, if you're defending you're losing. case in point once your a hostage you'll always be seen as one ( yeah it is scary if left alone with an inmate especially the fact that they might have a shank on em)

I think I've been watching too much Oz
 
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Unusually safe if a Federal BoP facility, more so than a standard community pharmacy. You get quite a bit of training with guard escorts. In Supermax facilities, there's specific protocols to keep yourself from being injured or killed. I'm quite impressed on how Terre Haute and Florence run their operations to be as contact free as possible, though I find being in those facilities to be extremely unsettling. FMC Rochester and FMC Carswell have dedicated inpatient, and there have been incidents of elopement and hostage taking which has locked down the facilities down pretty hard.

States have varying levels of security. It's quite possible to be taken advantage of for a situation. If you want to be absolutely safe, it is also possible, but realize you're working with prison guards (who have their own agendas) and in low funding situations where the prisoners may have very good reason for rebellion.
 
lord999 said:
Unusually safe if a Federal BoP facility, more so than a standard community pharmacy. You get quite a bit of training with guard escorts. In Supermax facilities, there's specific protocols to keep yourself from being injured or killed. I'm quite impressed on how Terre Haute and Florence run their operations to be as contact free as possible, though I find being in those facilities to be extremely unsettling. FMC Rochester and FMC Carswell have dedicated inpatient, and there have been incidents of elopement and hostage taking which has locked down the facilities down pretty hard.

States have varying levels of security. It's quite possible to be taken advantage of for a situation. If you want to be absolutely safe, it is also possible, but realize you're working with prison guards (who have their own agendas) and in low funding situations where the prisoners may have very good reason for rebellion.
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I've done a little in the county lock-up...my pal works there all the time....very few problems..probably about the same odds as a bad car wreck......Now the Supermax prisons are different I am told...they take hardened criminals and turn them psychotic to the point where they pretty much stay locked up in a room...it's actually torture...
 
I doubt that it's dangerous for a pharmacist
 
The pharmacists from my facility who went to the jails/prisons had no issues that I’ve ever heard about (state and county facilities). I worked at the distribution center that sent the meds to them, so I was never on site, but I think direct patient contact was limited. They mostly interacted with providers there.
 
I did a rotation at a state prison several years ago. There were a lot of lifers and hardened criminals. That said, besides the first day nervousness, I never felt threatened or scared. I remember it was quite easy - we had to start early but were sent home at 1 after prison lunch (chicken cacciatore was by far the favorite by popular demand - bologna sandwich was terrible). You just had to be careful because many prisoners were looking for ways to use you to get something they want - and they're usually friendly about it. Any excuse for bottom bunk was up there.

I remember it was the only rotation where my preceptor was a physician - he was always dressed up with very nice ferragamo loafers and happened to know a lot of the prisoners from childhood. He grew up in the same hood.
 
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I went to a prison site for a day, and walked around the facility... it wasn't so much the safety that turned me off about working in the prison, it's the whole environment that just seemed depressing... and some areas of the prison smelled god awful... the prisoners we walked by was very courteous tho
 
I don't know any pharmacists working in prisons, I do know a doctor who works in a medium security prison. He does not have any fears for personal safety (in his prison, majority of men are there for drug offenses or low level crimes-burglery, repeated shoplifting, repeated assault/battery.) Like others have mentioned, prison conditions are going to vary depending on what level of prison it is, and what state you are in. Certainly there are horror stories from prison, workers/guards being raped or killed, but these are very few. I doubt that working in a prison, is anymore dangerous than working certain bad locale retail locations. As with most things, you probably have a greater risk of getting killed in a car accident on the way to work, then by actually being attacked in a prison. I do think prison pharmacists jobs sound ultra cool (excellent benefits, regular hours, no holidays, etc.) I'd jump at one if I got, if it were available in my area.
 
Sine Cura said:
What's the difference between working in retail pharmacy and working in a prison?

In one work environment you deal with the scum of society every day and in the other environment, you help prisoners
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I think we should just close this thread because we aren’t going to get a better post then this.
 
MrBonita said:
I got offered to work at San Joaqin Correctional services for 100 an hour from RX relief. I asked why so much. The previous pharmacist got raped and biten.
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wow!
How did that happen? Did they not have a guard nearby? Was the pharmacist alone with an inmate?
 
I saw a job posting for a prison position and the fine print had said that the employer does not negotiate in hostage situations....
 
I was the consultant pharmacist for a small rural county jail and some juvenile facilities (they weren't big enough to need a full time pharmacist). I never dealt with the inmates and it was probably safer than working in a retail pharmacy. Something up close like giving shots would have been done by a nurse.
 
SoylentGreen said:
I was the consultant pharmacist for a small rural county jail and some juvenile facilities (they weren't big enough to need a full time pharmacist). I never dealt with the inmates and it was probably safer than working in a retail pharmacy. Something up close like giving shots would have been done by a nurse.
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Thank you!
 
jmail said:
wow!
How did that happen? Did they not have a guard nearby? Was the pharmacist alone with an inmate?
Click to expand...

I meant he got raped as in got his ass kicked and bitten. no actual penetration. I also got an offer to work in the antelope valley where a pharmacist and tech got stabbed. The pay was high as well there. No one wanted those positions. Anyhow, I never took any of those positions. I did however work in a pharmacy where gangsters use to come in and tag the walls. I just kept filling like nothing happened.
 
I have done my local jail flu immunization clinics whatever years Walgreens has given me vouchers. I've never felt concerned. Yes technically I'm alone with one person but there's someone right outside the room. Haven't done it the last couple years though.

I't's mainly just drug addicts or petty theft criminals.
 
wagrxm2000 said:
I have done my local jail flu immunization clinics whatever years Walgreens has given me vouchers. I've never felt concerned. Yes technically I'm alone with one person but there's someone right outside the room. Haven't done it the last couple years though.

I't's mainly just drug addicts or petty theft criminals.
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Thank you!
 
Haven’t personally worked at one, but I can’t image it’s no more dangerous than doing an overnight retail shift
 
Pronounce Doxazosin said:
Haven’t personally worked at one, but I can’t image it’s no more dangerous than doing an overnight retail shift
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I remember when I first graduated. My friend called me to ask me what to do since a bunch of guys in hoodies jumped the counter and grabbed a bunch of cough syrup during a graveyard shift. I said call the police.
 
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