Drug Diversion Regulatory Requirements and Best Practices
To support the diversion program effort, refer to the controlled substance- and diversion-related requirements with which facilities must comply. Sources of such requirements include the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), DEA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), survey agencies, state regulations, and professional boards.
During the Pandemic, Aspire to Identify and Prevent Medication Errors and to Avoid Blaming Attitudes
Occasionally, a “resource” nurse is available to assist in the ICU. However, too often, the resource nurse is tasked with auditing activities to ensure proper nursing documentation rather than assisting with clinical patient care. Subsequently, nurses have been reprimanded for documentation failures and urged to document care they were unable to provide.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 8 – Drug Diversion in Healthcare
On episode 8 of PSQH: The Podcast, host Jay Kumar talks to Tom Knight, CEO of Invistics, about drug diversion and the impact it has on hospitals.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 5 – Using AI to Reduce Opioid Use During Surgery
On episode 5 of PSQH: The Podcast, host Jay Kumar talks to Greg Latham, attending anesthesiologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, and Dan Low, chief medical officer of MDmetrix, about the use of AI to reduce opioid use during surgeries to keep pediatric patients safe.
Q&A: Many Hospitals Still Don’t Have Drug Diversion Programs
The Porter Research survey commissioned by Invistics found that nine out of 10 surveyed believe their facility’s drug diversion program is the same or even better than other organizations, and two out of three are confident or very confident that their drug diversion program successfully identifies employees who divert drugs. But there is definitely a disconnect, because 70% of participants said they believe most diversion incidents in the U.S. go undetected.
EHRs Fail to Detect Up to One-third of Medication Errors
Researchers at the University of Utah Health, Harvard University, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that the most commonly used EHRs in hospitals across the nation fail to detect up to 33% of potentially dangerous drug interactions and other medication errors that could harm or kill patients.
NIOSH Seeks Comment on Updated List of Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare
The proposal includes a name change and reorganization of drug lists so that not all antineoplastic drugs, most often associated with cancer treatments, are grouped together. Formerly the “NIOSH List of Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings,” the list will be called more simply the “NIOSH List of Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings, 2020.”
Over-the-Top Risky: Overuse of ADC Overrides, Removal of Drugs Without an Order, and Use of Non-Profiled Cabinets
Whether used as a full decentralized drug distribution model or for limited distribution of controlled substances, PRN (as needed) medications, and first doses only, ADCs today are often interfaced with electronic health record systems in both large and small healthcare settings.
Survey Highlights Pervasive Drug Diversion Problem in U.S. Hospitals
The survey found that 86% surveyed have met or know someone who has diverted drugs, with another 43% indicating their facility could be at risk of fines, bad publicity, lawsuits, or overdoses because of past or potential drug diversion cases.
Network Seeks to Reduce Drug Diversion, Increase Reporting Rate
So far, the network has tracked drug diversion at 90 hospitals, 28 nursing homes, and dozens of other types of healthcare facilities, including ambulatory surgical centers, assisted living centers, clinics, compounding pharmacies, medical laboratories, mental health facilities, pain clinics, rehabilitation homes, retail pharmacies, and schools.