A pilot program at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for women in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, uses Biojectors to inject medications into the body through powerful jets of compressed air instead of needles.
The Biojector method benefits health care providers by eliminating the risk of contaminated needle stick injuries and benefits the patient by reducing or eliminating the possibility of serious complications resulting from needle syringe injections. During an 8-week trial period beginning in July 1997, 201 injections were given to female inmates; 86 percent of health care providers administering the injections reported favorable responses to the system, citing minimal training, increased cooperation by inmates, lower risk of blood borne pathogen exposure, and easier injection of viscous medication. The 14 percent who did not favor the system said the needles used to draw medications were not as secure as they would have liked. Among female inmates, 97 percent favored the system over the standard needle method. Health care providers at the facility also provide comprehensive medical, nursing, dental, and mental health services using a managed care model that emphasizes quality improvement and cost containment. In addition, the facility offers educational programs on AIDS and smoking prevention, counseling for mentally ill inmates, training in tourism and travel, and religious programs. 3 photographs