My best friend is incarcerated for battery and has been for 16 days. He has had a quad bypass 4 years ago. He takes daily a specific regemet of 4 REQUIRED meds, all of which have serious warnings about abrutly ending or changing the meds. We brought to the jail a newly filled set of these meds. The nurse took them along with the leaftlets and Dr.'s info. Now, I understand fully why a jail refuses to accept meds brought in by a non inmate; however, here is the real problem: The med dep has no DR on staff ( on "call") but not on staff. They are a team of RN's and the like. All four of his meds were changed to different drugs (most were substitutions not generic swaps..actually, DIFFERENT..drugs all together. My questions are these: How can a nurse anywhere is these United States over ride a Dr. (His doctor was powerless to go against the jail, we tried) and legally chage meds and dosing. NO exam nothing. As a result he is having new symptoms and declining. Resources to help?
2007-01-13 12:21:46 · 12 answers · asked by jetratkat 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
It depends on what state you are in. Also, if I were him, I would get my lawyer involved as soon as possible. I would have some, mainly a lawyer, plead his case as soon as possible. If he doesn't expire, he will probably have a very big law suit. Oh, nurses can prescribe medication, but I don't think they can change the specifics of a specialist. You have to be qualified in that area to do that.
2007-01-13 12:28:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It seems that you are getting the wrong info. The RN's or whoever else that you have been led to believe are the ones that changed his meds, are not the ones that did. The jail facilities do not rely only on RN's on staff. Inmates can see an actual doctor, but there are certain ways they have to go about seeing that doctor. Your friend sounds like one of the cases that they would insist upon seeing the doctor.
The doctor that the jail uses for the inmates would have to have been the one that changed his meds up. The reason why his personal doctor is powerless when it comes to the jail, is because the jail wants to use a certain doctor for specific reasons. One of those reasons can be for the fact that some people are family friends of their personal doctors and they can ask their doctor for some perscription that the inmate really does not need. There are a lot of reason behind that.
Rest assured though, that it was not the RN's that changed his meds or prescribed him new meds. Especially if it has something to do with something as serious as heart problems. If you got this information from your friend, I honestly would take it with a grain of salt. Inmates will tell their families, friends, or whoever else that will listen anything to get the people on the outside to help them out somehow.
2007-01-13 13:11:34 · answer #2 · answered by deftonehead778 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Look, I'm all for punishing the guilty but a medical condition is a medical condition. Even capital offenses are administered according to law and an inmate isn't just allowed to die from medical condition if it can be avoided.
More than likely you're getting partial or incorrect information. After having spent several years in emergency medicine I can assure you that there isn't a nurse, RN or otherwise, anywhere that can over ride a doctor's order, nor would they. However, if his medicine has been changed by another doctor then there are no guarantees that it will work as well as the original 'scrip. In such a case he may need to go back to his original medications and dosages.
If there is resistance to changing his medication back and he is declining in health then the only way to address this is through an attorney. You have to jump on this immediately as the attorney will need to file an emergency brief with the local court. A doctor has no authority over the local jail, nor does an attorney. However, a judge does and an attorney is the avenue to reach a favorable decision.
Once he gets the appropriate medication to stabilize his health then he can be judged in court and then punished in accordance with the law as it pertains to his transgression.
2007-01-14 00:05:59 · answer #3 · answered by deus ex machina 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The nurses actually do have a doctor that supervises what they do in the jail, they aren't changing anything without his ok. On call means just that, they call him for instructions.
If you're not ok with the medical care he's obtaining, his attorney has to ask for a hearing in front of the judge to ask for either house arrest where he can do his time at home with a ankle bracelet and receive care, or transfer to a prison with a full time infirmary (which is a joke, by the way).
How bad could his heart be if he committed a battery that got him incarcerated??? He must have a little get up and go to him!
I have a feeling he's playing you for a sucker here, how would you really know what they're giving him for meds, are you just taking his word for it??
Sorry, I've just seen WAY too many prisoners play the victim on visiting day.... make sure you're not being scammed.
2007-01-13 12:34:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 1⤋
Speak with the Dr. and find out if the change will cause a problem. If so then get a lawyer to go before a judge and get an court order to have the jail medicate properly.
2007-01-13 12:35:08 · answer #5 · answered by Kdude 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Once in jail he's no longer given a choice of doctors. He gets to see the jail's doctor. The jail's doctor can write "orders" that direct the RNs what to do for certain types of cases. If his case fell within one of those orders, the RN is legally able to do something since she has an "order" from a doctor. Anything outside that order would require the doctor to see the patient and write orders.
This is the same way EMS operates. They can't push morphine, perform a traceohtomy, or insert an IV with out a doctors order. In this case a doctor writes orders for the things they'll see and need to do. However if they encounter something not covered by one of the standing orders, they have to contact a doctor (usually by radio to the ER) to get an order to do something.
2007-01-13 12:52:17 · answer #6 · answered by caffeyw 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I understand your situation. That's a tough question.
My best guess is that your friend is getting the medication he needs. It is the responsibility of the Court to make sure this happens
I recommend that you find out the name of the Judge handling his case. Give his office a call and advise them of his medical situation and ask (nicely) that they make sure his medical needs are being met.
If anything was to happen to the person then the court and the jail facility will be legally responsible. I realize that that is of little consequence if something happens to him.
One thing you can do is to call the facility where he is incarcerated. Ask for the booking desk. Advise them of this information again. I would do that enough times to advise every shift supervisor of the situation. Call them at every shift change. Log the time, date and name of the person you talk to. Make your own chain of evidence. Keep notes.
Call and try to talk to him to see if his needs are being met.I'm sure there is a time frame where you may be able to do this.
You may have to go to the jail during visiting hours to talk to him. Above all keep notes and contact people at the top of the food chain. Ask to talk to supervisors.
By now he has an attourney. Advise that attourney wheather a hired attorney of a court appointed attourney. Advise them.
Ask questions and get answers for all your questions or talk to the next higher ranked supervisor. Get the names of everyone you tallk to. Keep notes, I can't stress that enough. Keep notes and make people responsible for their actions.
Not to play down your situation but I'm sure he is getting his medication. This is a common issue for people who are incarcerated
If your friend gets sick while in the jail, he will be taken to a hospital to be checked.
Best of luck
2007-01-13 13:04:13 · answer #7 · answered by Dumb Dave 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
call a lawyer NOW. Get an injunction against the jail saying they have no legal right to treat that man for medical care. It could be the death of him, and you need some legal papers for power of attorney from him NOW, so that you can sue them for every stinking penny that it is worth !! (if something happens to him) EVIL EVIL EVIL ...our law enforcement is getting just as EVIL as our government ! no more donations from me to the law departments, they are done.
2007-01-13 12:54:29 · answer #8 · answered by fivefootnuttinhuny 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
cops murder every day why would they care about some old man look what those murdering swine done in atlanta 4 of them shot and killed 88 year old women after lying to get a warrent to search her house she had no connection to drug dealing at all .
2007-01-14 13:01:40 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I would also contact the local media-newspapers & TV stations, etc. They can be pretty dramatic-which in this case would be very good! Heart meds are very serious-the city could have a lawsuit here..keep talking until someone listens!
2007-01-13 12:34:26 · answer #10 · answered by Middleclassandnotquiet 6 · 1⤊ 4⤋