Monday, April 10, 2017

The Most Common Practices In Preventing Drug Diversion In Healthcare

Drug diversion is one of the trickiest channels by which addictive drugs get into the wrong hands. Healthcare professionals primarily ensure that people are given proper medication. In principle, drugs are in the market for their role in the treatment of diseases. However, these same drugs can be addictive too, which is why drug users take advantage of the opportunity to get their hands on them.

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To manage this, healthcare experts have employed certain practices to minimize the incidence of drug diversion.

An effective way is to regulate the release of potentially addictive prescription drugs. For instance, for patients who are genuinely in need of a particular drug, doctors cannot prescribe more than a certain number of units. Should there be a need to continue medication beyond the initial prescription, the patient will have to get a new prescription from the doctor at a later time.

Another way is through the presentation of identification at the pharmacy. There is a finite list of potentially addictive prescription drugs, and each time a patient makes a purchase, he has to present his prescription and his identification. To be sure, his picture may be taken by the pharmacy when he purchases. This is to make sure that the medicine goes into the right hands.

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The industry also imposes heavy sanctions on any health worker or pharmacist who is complicit in the release of prescription drugs to a person who is without privilege. This has proven to deter drug diversion, and it has also encouraged vigilance in the professional practice.

Adam Quirk, a private investigator, has had 15 years of experience working for both the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. For more about his work, read this blog.

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