Diligently Handling Diversion
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, nearly seven million Americans are abusing prescription drugs, more than the combined number of those abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy and inhalants.
Substance abuse costs businesses $100 billion annually due to productivity loss, absenteeism and insurance premiums according to the SAMHSA.gov website. Unfortunately, health care professionals are some of the most common abusers of prescription medications. The theft of drugs and controlled substances by health care professionals can lead to critical patient care issues such as substandard care delivered by an impaired health care provider, denial of essential pain medication or therapy and risk of infection if a provider tampers with injectable drugs. But, diversion also presents a significant risk of compliance and regulatory challenges, employment actions and patient relations nightmares.
Because no hospital is immune to drug diversion, you’ll want to join us as we delve into the legal and operational issues facing hospitals today, with a focus on the human resources aspects of diversion issues. Included within the webinar are best practices for prevention and early intervention, the elements of a successful investigation, ways to mitigate risk and a checklist for addressing the resulting employment actions.
