Are You Following These Best Practices to Stay Compliant?

The DEA requirements are that the entire life span of each container that enters your hospital is thoroughly recorded. Are you implementing these important steps into your practice correctly?

Once a controlled drug container arrives at your hospital, you should be recording the information of that particular container:

• Unique container number per vial
• NDC/NADA number
• Invoice number
• Lot number

Every container must also be tracked in regards to what occurs with them, in addition to log entries.

• When the seal is broken and who opened the container
• Any adjustments made must be verified by two individuals

Any usage from a container must be detailed

• Container used
• Date the drug was used
• Patient & client details
• Amount administered and/or not administered

Reconciliation to verify correct amounts have been recorded, and balances shown are accurate

• In general, most hospitals refer to their practice management systems to corroborate their tracking

Recording waste

• Patient waste, hub loss
• Expired container, breakage
• Two individuals are required to authorize

Finishing a container

• Verification that the final recorded balance is zero when the container is finished