BOP Pharmacy Program

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Institutions

Click HERE for a list of BOP Institutions, including the name, phone number, and e-mail address for for each Chief Pharmacist.

Overview

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is the agency of the Department of Justice responsible for incarcerating federal felons. The BOP currently has 100 facilities in 40 states, with several more institutions under construction. The BOP houses inmates from 88 countries who have been incarcerated for every conceivable offense. Inmates are assigned to a particular prison according to their security classification, with prisoners with shorter sentences and lesser offenses placed in Federal Prison Camps, and those with the most severe offenses, longest sentences, and most notoriety incarcerated in U.S. Penitentiaries.

The average patient is a 37-year-old white male sentenced for a drug-related crime. The patient mix is becoming older and sicker because inmates are receiving longer mandatory sentences. About 1% of inmates are HIV seropositive, and 15% are carriers of hepatitis B or C. Liver and kidney damage are common because of self-destructive lifestyles. Several institutions devote substantial resources to treating inmates with mental health needs.

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) accredits every BOP facility. Six are classified as medical referral centers that provide special medical needs such as medical/surgical, long-term care, psychiatric care, medical evaluations, and hospice beds. The remaining facilities have ambulatory care clinics that are usually staffed by 2 physicians, 2 dentists, 6-10 mid-level practitioners (physician assistants and nurse practitioners), technical and administrative aides, and pharmacy staff. These clinics provide outpatient visits, inpatient admissions, follow-up care, physical examinations, vision refraction, laboratory tests, minor surgical services, radiography, consultant visits, dental care, daily sick call, prescription medications, and other services. Specialty care in this setting is provided either by visiting physicians or by transporting inmates to the specialist's practice site.

There are over 150 pharmacist positions in the BOP, many of which are one-man stations. Pharmacists in the BOP are thoroughly involved in pharmaceutical care. Most BOP pharmacists fill medication orders directly from the patient's chart, which provides complete medical information. All pharmacists provide patient counseling and many work with diabetes, hypertension, mental health clinics; monitor the treatment of infectious diseases; go on rounds with physicians; and provide discharge counseling. The pharmacy department is typically located adjacent to the exam rooms. This proximity fosters a genuinely cooperative and interdisciplinary approach to patient care. Pharmacists function as a source of information for their fellow practitioners, they provide education to patients and staff alike, and are intimately involved in continuous quality improvement. Several pharmacists have moved into administrative positions such as Health Service Administrator or Associate Warden.

The BOP Chief Pharmacist is committed to supporting and promoting dynamic roles for the pharmacy practitioner, which include:
• Increasing involvement in drug monitoring and disease management.
• Reducing medication errors through Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement.
• Multi-disciplinary clinical care teams.
• Participating in drug utilization programs.
• Documenting outcomes of care.
• Providing drug information.
• Patient education.
• Formulary management.

Other BOP health initiatives include smoking cessation, proper OTC medication selection through prison commissaries, TB preventive therapy, and HIV medication compliance.

Pharmacists may apply to the BOP either as a civil servant or as a member of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. There are certain hiring restrictions for each personnel system; however, both offer promotion potential and Federal benefits. Please contact the Medical Recruitment Office at 1-800-800-2676 for general information and application procedures.

Security Levels

FPC - Federal Prison Camp

These facilities are utilized to house inmates who have a security level designated as "minimum". These inmates generally have shorter sentences, with no violence involved in their offense. FPCs have no fences or razor wire. The inmates may have work assignments that allow them to be off the prison grounds during the day, but are expected to be on the premises to be counted at specific times.

FCI - Federal Correctional Institution

These prisons provide a more secure level of housing for low and medium security inmates. Inmates confined here have longer sentences, more violence, and more severe offenses. The compound is enclosed with razor wire and a significant amount of security.

USP - United States Penitentiary

These institutions house inmates with the highest security requirements. These prisoners have long sentences, violence, notoriety, and significant offenses. USPs have walls, watch towers, and a very high level of security.

FMC - Federal Medical Center

These facilities provide more sophisticated medical capabilities than that found in other BOP institutions. There are currently seven prisons designated as FMCs that are located in Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas.

MCC - Metropolitan Correctional Center

These institutions are operated in conjunction with a nearby federal court in several major U.S. cities. Prisoners here are either going through the trial process or awaiting sentencing from a federal judge.

FTC - Federal Transportation Center

This facility in Oklahoma City is on the grounds of the airport. It serves as the transportation hub for all inmates moved across the U.S. This institution is so large that two jets can pull inside the prison to load and unload inmates at the same time. 100,000 inmates per year are moved through the FTC.

ADX - Supermax

This is the most secure prison in the United States. Located in Florence, Colorado, it houses inmates that are continuously separated from other inmates.

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