How Medications Work at Jefferson County Correctional Facility: intake, verification, and blister-pack delivery

Jefferson County issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for "Inmate Pharmacy Services" to find a qualified pharmacy to supply both prescription and over-the-counter medications for people housed at the Jefferson County Correctional Facility. This is the county's formal process for setting expectations around how medications get into the jail and how they're handled once they arrive.

The RFP describes a preferred service radius of 25 miles from 765 Justice Center Drive in Dandridge. It also requires vendors to have been in business for at least 10 years and to have institutional pharmaceutical experience (think correctional facilities, nursing homes, or similar settings). These details are mostly administrative, but they explain why the facility works with pharmacies that understand correctional security and documentation standards.

Medication questions start quickly at Jefferson County Correctional Facility. During intake, staff ask about any medication history within 24 hours of arrival. This initial history is the starting point for figuring out what the person was taking before custody and what needs to be confirmed.

1. Share prior medication information - The inmate identifies their current prescriptions and provides the previous pharmacy or medical provider they used.
2. Facility verifies current prescriptions - Staff verify prescriptions by contacting the previous pharmacy or the previous provider indicated by the patient.
3. Use the verified information moving forward - Once confirmation is obtained through the listed pharmacy or provider, that verified prescription information can be used to support medication continuation decisions inside the facility.

The RFP spells out exactly how prescription oral solid-dose medications should arrive. They come in patient-specific, multi-dose blister packaging as a seven-day supply, sorted by the date and time each dose is supposed to be given. The blister packs can also be organized alphabetically or by housing unit, depending on what the facility requests.

• ✓ Receive prescription oral solid-dose medications in patient-specific multi-dose blister packs, provided as a seven-day supply sorted by date and time of administration
• ✓ Log each medication delivery at the facility
• ✓ Verify delivered medications as part of the receiving process
• ✓ Have nursing or correctional staff sign in deliveries for safety and security

The RFP sets a high bar for pharmacy vendors. They must have been in business for at least 10 years and have institutional pharmaceutical experience, including work with correctional facilities and nursing homes. For families, this requirement is about reliability: the pharmacy needs to understand the extra controls that come with dispensing and documenting medications in a secure facility.

The RFP also addresses logistics and timing. It lists a preferred pharmacy service radius of 25 miles from 765 Justice Center Drive, Dandridge, TN 37725, emphasizing proximity for service. Proposals will be reviewed and a winner declared within 30 days from bid opening.

Practical Takeaways Families

• ✓ Make sure your loved one can name their previous pharmacy or prescribing provider at intake, since medication history is asked for within 24 hours
• ✓ Encourage them to give accurate contact information for that pharmacy or provider, since the facility verifies prescriptions through the contacts the patient indicates
• ✓ Understand that medication deliveries are controlled items at the facility and must be logged, verified, and signed in by nursing or correctional staff