Failure to comply with obligations under the Controlled Substance Act has resulted in a settlement agreement of $4.5 million for a medical center in Texas. The majority of cases we hear about are for harm to patients, this one however is for harm to employees. You can read the details here, but the summary is this: the government contends that the facility violated multiple provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) over a five-year period, and as a result, employees were able to divert controlled substances resulting in the death of two nurses over a 16 month time period.
All facilities must know where their controlled substances are at all times, which includes accurate record keeping. They must have effective controls in place to monitor for diversion and meet reporting obligations. It is the healthcare system’s responsibility to guard against the theft and diversion of controlled substances? How is your facility doing in this regard? We can be an ostrich with our head in the sand and assume everything is “fine”, until it is not. Rxpert Solutions can assist your facility in reaching compliance and implementing a meaningful diversion prevention and monitoring program.
