Controlled Drug Management Best Practices
Veterinary professionals handle, dispense, and administer controlled drugs daily, but can find their management challenging. Regulatory compliance requires considerable knowledge and effort, and poorly controlled drug management can be costly. Opioids, anesthetics, and other regulated substances are critical for patient comfort and safety, but their use and storage carries significant responsibilities, including preventing diversion and keeping team members safe. Here, we discuss best practices for staying in the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) good graces while ensuring top-tier pet care.
The importance of DEA compliance
The DEA enforces federal laws designed to prevent controlled drug diversion and misuse. Although states can impose additional rules, the DEA focuses on the nationwide impact of drug abuse. For example, the significant suffering and loss of life caused by the opioid epidemic has led to increasingly strict regulations to prevent further damage. You must comply with the regulations to protect vulnerable employees and the general public. Additionally, non-compliance can lead to penalties, including high fines and veterinary license suspension or loss.
Most veterinary practice owners and leaders think drug abuse and diversion will not happen to them, but the truth is that they can occur in any setting where these drugs are readily available. Look critically at your current controlled drug management practices and find ways to strengthen and streamline them to ensure you stay compliant without unduly burdening your team.
Controlled drug management best practices
The first step toward optimizing controlled drug management is learning about current laws and regulations. Ensure leaders and veterinarians complete routine CE to stay on top of updates and maintain licensure. Then, work with key team members to enact or modify protocols and reach your compliance goals. Consider these items:
- Storage — The DEA mandates that all controlled drugs, including those that are refrigerated, be locked in a safe that meets its stringent specifications. Keys or keypad access should be limited to a few trusted personnel, but shouldn’t hinder practice efficiency. Security cameras in the controlled drug area can help deter or identify personnel attempting to abuse or divert drugs.
- Record-keeping — Accurate, detailed drug logs are labor-intensive but critical for DEA compliance and can help you track down discrepancies. Drug logs should follow each container through the entire use cycle, including ordering, receipt, storage, and each time the bottle leaves the safe. The DEA requires veterinary clinics to keep logs for at least two years.
- Audits — Check and reconcile drug logs with on-hand inventory at least monthly. Injectable drug bottles may contain slightly more or less product than indicated, and hub loss can add up over time. Any significant missing quantity requires investigation. Beyond monthly audits, a quick end-of-day check can help catch major errors before they get lost among other transactions. Provide several layers of accountability by ensuring a second person verifies counts.
- Training — Update staff members on controlled drug protocols at least annually and when changes occur. New employees who understand the legal requirements will also understand the gravity of controlled drug management and take the protocols seriously.
- Drug disposal — Some practices find drug disposal a confusing challenge. Place unused, dispensed drugs, such as leftover induction agents, in a dedicated receptacle containing adsorbent. Return expired and unopened containers to an authorized reverse distributor who can verify their receipt.
The role of modern practice management software
The right veterinary practice management software can help hospital leaders manage controlled drugs more effectively. Modern systems often include features that can help practices adhere to stringent regulatory standards and streamline record-keeping. Examples of helpful features include:
- Inventory tracking — Automated inventory tracking and order population can help you follow each milligram of a controlled drug and the stock amount you require. If you spot a discrepancy, your inventory log can help you understand where things went wrong.
- User access controls — Software logins can show who entered each controlled drug transaction to ensure individual team member accountability. Practice leaders with administrative capabilities can track ordering, inventory check-ins, and expired drug returns.
- Systems integrations — Modern, cloud-based veterinary software allows integrations with external controlled drug management systems (e.g., Cubex) that automatically dispense and log each drug, and then record details in the corresponding patient’s chart. These work well for large hospitals that use drugs extensively and can decrease administrative burden.
Maintaining DEA and state regulatory compliance for controlled drug management helps leaders keep teams safe, protect themselves from theft, and prevent diversion that harms the general public. Staff members who are trained to understand the “why” behind logging and auditing procedures will be more likely to adhere to practice rules. Modern veterinary software can streamline dispensing, logging, and auditing procedures to manage controlled substances confidently.
