Best Practices for Controlled Substance Monitoring
Toward a new best practice for controlled substance monitoring
Of all the things we do in EMS, there aren't all that many opportunities to make a difference each day. Many of our patients need little more than transport to an ED, whether for primary care or chronic medical problems.
Thus, when any of us gets the chance to administer morphine or fentanyl to a patient with third-degree burns, or to push midazolam in a case of status epilepticus, or to use an induction agent like ketamine for a difficult airway, we may just get to make a difference. We may feel a sense of gratitude, too, for our ability to use those controlled substances—opioids, benzodiazepines and anesthetic induction agents—that we go through a lot of trouble to carry.
This trouble stems from the fact that substance abuse affects not only our patients, but many of our colleagues as well—often tragically. As a result, it's our responsibility to track the use of these drugs, both to ensure their appropriate and safe administration, and to prevent their potential diversion.
Drug Diversion
Diversion refers to the act of diverting a controlled substance from its intended purpose, whether at the time of administration or the time of wasting.
Our ability to effectively manage the problem of diversion may be traced to the lack of EMS-specific regulations in the original Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Since very little guidance was provided regarding EMS interpretation of the law, a kind of Wild West approac...
Source: JEMS Operations - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: William Gleason, EMT-P Tags: Administration and Leadership Operations Source Type: news
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