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KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Your guide to medication in prison Words: Words: WIP’s Jade Coulon, Health Advocate, Healthy Foundations Project
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eople in prison are entitled to the same quality and range of healthcare services that are available in the community. Since 2011 the NHS has overseen prison healthcare, including services in privately run prisons. For some, it may be an opportunity to raise health concerns they may not have been able to address in the community. However, feedback from the women we work with in prison tells us that not all healthcare services they receive mirror those in the community. One of their major concerns is that the medication prescribed to them in the community was stopped, changed or reduced when they entered prison. When you arrive at prison, you should receive a healthcare screening where a nurse will ask you a number of health-related questions, including what medication you are taking. They will also ask you for the details of your GP in the communi-
ty. This information allows the healthcare team to access your GP medication summary online. In certain situations, your GP may need to be contacted for more detailed records. Until these records can be confirmed, some drugs cannot be prescribed to you, or prescribed at the dosage you’re used to, particularly if they are ‘controlled medications’. Controlled medications* can cause serious health issues if not used properly and can also be addictive, therefore, extra safety measures must be put in place when prescribing them. Some of the more commonly encountered drugs on the controlled drugs list include methadone, oxycodone, pregabalin and many others. Being in such high demand, access to these lucrative (meaning ‘profitable’) medications can often result in a number of serious safety concerns, including risk of overdose and bullying among peers. For
