How do you identify drug diversion?

How do you identify drug diversion?

Medication diversion is all too common and can be difficult to spot, but look for these signs:

1. Strange stories. Be wary of new patients with stories that don’t seem quite right.
2. Reluctance to cooperate.
3. Unusually high (or low) understanding of medications.
4. Strange symptoms.
5. Specific drug requests.

What are common drug diversion methods?

7 Methods used by healthcare workers to divert controlled substances include theft of vials or syringes, under-dosing patients, taking waste for personal use, raiding sharps disposal containers, and tampering with patient medications by replacing controlled substances with another product, such as saline.

What is prescription drug diversion?

Prescription drug diversion is defined as the unlawful channelling of regulated pharmaceuticals from legal sources to the illicit marketplace. 1. This includes transferring drugs to people they were not prescribed for.

Where does drug diversion occur?

Prescription drug diversion involves the unlawful channeling of regulated pharmaceuticals from legal sources to the illicit marketplace, and can occur along all points in the drug delivery process, from the original manufacturing site to the wholesale distributor, the physician’s office, the retail pharmacy, or the …

How many nurses divert drugs?

With more than 3 million practicing nurses in the US, it’s estimated that over 300,000 of them, or more than 10%, are abusing substances, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

What is the number one way to prevent drug diversion?

Prevention methods. There are a number of things you can do in your practice to prevent medication diversion from occurring: provide thorough care, use patient medication agreements, protect your prescriptions, work with local pharmacists, involve your staff and play by the rules.

What is the role of drug diversion?

Drug diversion is the def lection of prescription drugs from medical sources into the illegal market. Drug diversion increases the cost of the Medicaid program. It’s against the law to divert drugs—you can go to jail for it.

What does diversion mean in medical?

(dĭ-vĕr′zhŭn) 1. In hospital management, the routing of patients away from one facility to others, usually because the first institution is inaccessible, overcrowded, or understaffed. 2. In surgery, the redirection of the normal flow of body contents from one organ to another.

What is risk of diversion?

Risks associated with diversion include patient harm, negative publicity, financial loss and civil and regulatory liability. Many facilities track the movement of drugs within the institution by reviewing transaction and data analytics reports that are very valuable measures.

Why do nurses divert drugs?

Nurses typically divert drugs using one of the following methods: taking the wasted portion of the drug for personal use. removing excessive amounts of as-needed medications. not administering the drug to patients.

What happens to nurses who divert drugs?

Drug diversion is a felony that can result in a nurse’s criminal prosecution and loss of license. “If patients are harmed, a nurse may risk permanent exclusion from working in healthcare,” New says.

What to do if you suspect a nurse is diverting drugs?

If the person suspected of diverting is a nurse, pharmacist, physician, or other licensed healthcare professional: Report the healthcare worker to their professional licensure board within your state, such as the state Board of Nursing, Board of Pharmacy, or Medical Board.