Case two: Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre
A physician at Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre discontinued Reggie’s medication for depression after a suspected case of medical abuse, without tapering. Dealing with withdrawal symptoms and feeling the decision was unfair, Reggie filed a complaint with the Provincial Health Services Authority’s (PHSA) Patient Care and Quality Office (PCQO), but his complaint was not resolved. Reggie then contacted us for help.
We investigated whether the process followed by the PSHA in discontinuing Reggie’s medication was reasonable and whether the PCQO responded adequately to Reggie’s complaint.
During our investigation, we noticed that the PHSA’s policy on medical diversion in correctional centres includes a list of considerations that must be taken into account prior to medication being discontinued. Like Jeeve, Reggie’s medication was discontinued in a manner inconsistent with this provincial policy. Despite this, the PCQO dismissed Reggie’s complaint after its review found the discontinuation of Reggie’s medication was reasonable – a decision that was based on what we determined was an unreasonable process.
While Reggie’s medication was eventually resumed, we continued to have concerns with the PHSA’s response. To remedy the unfairness and to prevent similar medication discontinuations from recurring contrary to the provincial policy on diversion, we suggested the PHSA conduct an audit to identify any other similar cases to ensure the physician had been following policy. The findings of its audit showed further instances of non-compliance with the diversion policy and the recommendations it would make in response ranging from staff training, changing record-keeping practices and implementing ongoing monitoring. The PHSA also updated its diversion policy and procedures, and agreed to revise its complaints policy to ensure adequate reviews were conducted on complaints that raise issues of non-compliance with policy.
We received a similar complaint about the discontinuation of medication from Jeeve, who was housed in a different correctional centre. These two complaints were considered together in the broader context of the PHSA’s non-adherence to its diversion policy.
