Education Surrounding a Facility’s Diversion Program
An important component to a comprehensive diversion program is educating staff on the elements of the program. Education surrounding what diversion looks like, why prevention measures need to be put in place, why monitoring for diversion is important, and the expectations of staff. Additional education is needed for supervisors and managers that will be reviewing […]
Read MoreIs Your Facility Doing What is Required?
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 […]
Read MoreWhere Will the Next Ransomware Attack Be?
In the Ransomware Trends 2021 put out by the Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HHS Cybersecurity Program), it is reported that there were a total of 82 ransomware incidents impacting the healthcare sector worldwide so far this calendar year, as of May 25, 2021. 48 of these ransomware incidents (nearly 60%) impacted the US health […]
Read MoreSigns Your Anesthesia Provider May have a Substance Abuse Problem
It’s no news that anesthesia providers have stressful and demanding jobs. Occasional signs of sleep deprivation is normal, especially for those in residency training (well, probably more than occasionally!). What other signs, in addition to sleep deprivation, should we be watching for that may indicate a possible substance abuse problem? Frequent bathroom breaks Frequent absences […]
Read MoreEducation Surrounding a Facilities Diversion Program
An important component of a comprehensive diversion program is educating staff to the elements of the program. Education surrounding what diversion looks like, why prevention measures need to be put in place, why monitoring for diversion is important, and expectations of the staff. Additional education is needed for supervisors and managers that will be reviewing […]
Read MoreTheme Development During an Interview
Many who divert medications have rationalized or justified their behaviors. Interviewers use a method called theme development to present reasons and excuses that will serve to psychologically justify the healthcare worker’s behavior and minimize the moral seriousness of their behavior. The purpose of this method is to empathize with the healthcare worker and make them […]
Read MoreDrug Diversion Insights with Terri Vidals
I am excited to announce that the video interviews that are posted on LinkedIn and YouTube each week are now in podcast format on Spotify! Sometimes podcasts are easier to listen to than watching a video, and all the same content is shared. Please check them out, follow and share with everyone in the healthcare […]
Read MoreSecond Victim
Those of you with experience in the area of patient safety or medication safety may be familiar with the term second victim. For those of you who may not be familiar with this term, second victims are health care professionals who are involved in an unanticipated adverse patient event, in a medical error and/or a […]
Read MoreWhat to Expect When the DEA Comes Knocking
Pharmacy is a world filled with regulations. The U.S. Department of Justice is just one agency enforcing some of those regulations, and they can show up at your pharmacy any time to confirm you are following the regulations. Here are the basics of what they are looking for. First, if they will always come with […]
Read MoreBack to More Routine Healthcare
It seems we have made it through the COVID crisis. More and more people have been vaccinated and life is starting to get back to “normal”. The new normal, anyway. Many hospitals had to put projects on hold during this time so they could devote their resources to the immediate needs. I personally know of […]
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