Australian Capital Territory
Corrections Management (Management of Medication) Procedure 2018
Notifiable instrument NI2018-39
made under the  
Corrections Management Act 2007, s14 (Corrections policies and operating procedures)

1	Name of instrument
This instrument is the Corrections Management (Management of Medication) Procedure 2018.
2	Commencement
This instrument commences on the day after its notification day.
3	Operating Procedure
I make this operating procedure to facilitate the effective and efficient management of correctional services.
4	Revocation
This instrument revokes the Corrections Management (Management of Medication) Procedure 2011 [NI2011-670].

Jon Peach
Executive Director 
ACT Corrective Services
24 January 2018

OPERATING PROCEDURE	Management of Medication   	
OPERATING PROCEDURE NO.	1.1.10	
SCOPE	ACT Correctional Centres 	
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
To provide instructions to staff supervising the dispensing of medication to detainees.  
PROCEDURES
General Medication 
1.	Allocation of Medication 
1.1.	Detainees must present to the medication window one at a time (within accommodation areas) or officers must escort the detainee to the Hume Health Centre, at the designated medication time. 
1.2.	Justice Health Service staff must verify a detainee’s identity against their detainee ID card or roll check card. Justice Health Service staff must not issue medication unless the detainee’s identity can be verified. 
1.3.	A supervising officer must be deployed to observe detainees consuming medication. 
1.4.	The supervising officer must ensure detainees are not wearing beanies, hats or sunglasses.
1.5.	The supervising officer must ensure detainees drink the water provided by Justice Health Service staff to swallow the medication. 
1.6.	The supervising officer must complete a mouth check of detainees to confirm the medication has been swallowed. The detainee must:
•	open their mouth;
•	raise their tongue; 
•	run their tongue around the inside of their mouth; and 
•	use their forefinger to open their mouth and show there is nothing hidden.  
1.7.	When the supervising officer is satisfied the detainee has consumed the medication, the detainee must move away from the medication window.
1.8.	If the supervising officer is not satisfied the detainee has swallowed the medication, the detainee must be separated from other detainees and the Officer in Charge (OIC) must be informed. 

Opioid Substitute Treatment Program 
Suboxone (sublingual film) & Methadone (syrup): prescription medication used to treat opioid dependent adults. 
2.	Notification of detainees commencing on an Opioid Substitute Treatment Program 
2.1.	It is a requirement of the Opioid Substitute Treatment Program (OSTP) that detainees give consent for Justice Health Services to notify ACTCS that the detainee is commencing an OSTP. Detainees that do not consent will not commence on the OSTP. 
2.2.	Justice Health Services must notify ACTCS of detainees commencing on an OSTP. 

3.	Methadone
3.1.	Detainees must present to the medication window one at a time (within accommodation areas) or officers must escort the detainee to the Hume Health Centre, at the designated medication time.  
3.2.	Where an iDose iris scanner machine is in use, detainees must register their identity on the iDose system for Justice Health Service staff to verify their identity. 
3.3.	The supervising officer must ensure detainees are not wearing beanies, hats or sunglasses.
3.4.	The supervising officer must conduct a frisk search prior to the detainee being issued methadone. 
3.5.	The supervising officer must observe detainees consuming methadone.
3.6.	The supervising officer must ensure detainees drink the water provided by Justice Health Service staff to swallow the methadone. 
3.7.	The supervising officer must complete a mouth check of detainees to confirm the methadone has been swallowed. The detainee must:
•	open their mouth; and
•	raise their tongue.
3.8.	When the supervising officer is satisfied the detainee has swallowed the methadone, the detainee must move away from the medication window.
3.9.	The supervising officer must ensure detainees having been issued methadone are separated from other detainees for 15 minutes.
3.10.	If the supervising officer is still not satisfied the detainee has consumed the methadone the Officer in Charge (OIC) must be informed. 

4.	Suboxone (only issued to detainees in the Hume Health Centre)
4.1.	Detainees must be escorted by officers to the Hume Health Centre, at the designated medication time.  
4.2.	Where an iDose iris scanner machine is in use, detainees must register their identity on the iDose system for Justice Health Service staff to verify their identity. 
4.3.	The supervising officer must ensure detainees are not wearing beanies, hats or sunglasses.
4.4.	The supervising officer must observe detainees consuming medication. 
4.5.	Once the detainee has been issued the film of Suboxone, Justice Health Service staff must conduct mouth checks to ensure the Suboxone film has dissolved (Suboxone takes approximately 2-5 minutes to dissolve).
4.6.	Once the Suboxone film has dissolved the supervising officer must ensure the detainee drinks the water provided by Justice Health Service staff.
4.7.	The supervising officer must ensure detainees remain in the designated medication area for a minimum of 15 minutes after being issued Suboxone. Detainees housed in the Crisis Support Unit must remain in the designated medication area for a minimum of 30 minutes.
4.8.	If the supervising officer or Justice Health Service staff are not satisfied the film of Suboxone has properly dissolved, the detainee must be separated from other detainees and the OIC must be informed.  
RELATED DOCUMENTS 
•	Access to Health Care Policy 

Jon Peach
Executive Director
ACT Corrective Services 
   January 2018

Document details
Criteria	Details	
Document title:	Corrections Management (Management of Medication) Operating Procedure 2018	
Document owner/approver:	Executive Director, ACT Corrective Services	
Date effective:	The day after the notification date	
Review date:	3 years after the notification date	
Responsible Officer:	Head of Security	
Compliance:	This Operating Procedure reflects the requirements of the Corrections Management (Policy and Operating Procedure Framework) Policy 2017	
Version 1