Team accountability sums up this article about scheduled drug handling. Too frequently, we forget that inventory is managed best by a trained, knowledgeable team.
Source: Veterinary Team Brief, August 2016, page 13.
Team Takeaways:
- Veterinarians: Each veterinarian should carry his or her own individual DEA license, as well as any required state licensure, to ensure legal prescribing and use of controlled drugs in the practice.
- Management Team: Ordering and stocking appropriate amounts of controlled substances reduces risk of medications expiring and requiring costly disposal. Medications are also easier to track if smaller quantities are stored at the practice.
- Nursing Team: Proper storage and record-keeping according to state and federal regulations are essential to legal use of controlled substances in a practice, and these tasks most often fall to the nursing team.
- Client Care Team: Be aware of signs of possible narcotics diversion, including frequent refill requests, patient transfers to different hospitals, and phone requests for pain medications. Bring any suspicious activity to the attention of the management team for further investigation.