Clinical Role of Pharmacists in the Care of Incarcerated People at Correctional Facilities: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

This study aimed to map the literature on the clinical role of pharmacists in the care of incarcerated people at correctional facilities and to identify gaps in this field. A scoping review was conducted on 30 July 2024, using the PubMed, Scopus, and LILACS databases. Gray literature was searched via Google Scholar, and references of included studies were manually reviewed. Primary studies of any design reporting pharmacists' clinical services and/or activities for incarcerated individuals were eligible. Study selection and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers, with a third resolving disagreements. The search yielded 894 records, from which 27 studies were included. Most studies were conducted in the United States (n = 16; 59%) and France (n = 7; 26%). Eleven (41%) focused exclusively on male populations, and one (4%) on female inmates. Most studies addressed pharmacists' clinical roles in mental health conditions and substance use disorders (n = 9; 33%), infectious diseases (n = 5; 19%), and diabetes (n = 4; 15%). Clinical services and/or activities related to direct patient care were the most frequently reported (n = 18; 67%). Process measures were reported in 18 studies (67%), and clinical outcomes were the most common type of outcome (n = 13; 48%). This review highlights the pharmacist's clinical role in treating mental health conditions and substance abuse, infectious diseases, and diabetes in incarcerated care. It underscores the need for further research in low- and middle-income countries, on women's health, and on other prevalent conditions.