With the transition of the EMS Med Boxes from Hospital-based Pharmacies to EMS Agencies there are new requirements for Usage Audits of the medications that your agencies have.

These audits include the following:

Be conducted by the DEA registrant or designee

a.    Any such designee must be authorized by the DEA registrant and included on the agency or service’s roster of personnel authorized to audit controlled substances

Account for the current disposition of all controlled substances

a.    Include review of forms, purchase records, logs, and PCRs/ePCRs

b.    Identify and report discrepancies as required

Identify and investigate unusually high rates of administration

a.    Establish a baseline rate of controlled substance administration among all individuals authorized to administer controlled substances during the time period being audited

b.    Identify high outliers (i.e. - individuals with high rates of controlled substance administration)

c.    Review each administration of controlled substances performed by these high outliers for accountability and clinical appropriateness

Be performed at least quarterly. Records of these audits will be:

a.    Maintained at and/or electronically accessible from the agency or service’s quality assurance location

b.    Available for inspection within forty-eight (48) hours

c.    Retained for a period of no less than two (2) years

Does your agency understand the requirements?

The Tidewater EMS Council has scheduled a conference call with Cindy Williams from Riverside Health to answer many of the questions your agency may have at this time.

This conference call will take place on August 15, 2024 starting at 3 pm. It will be conducted on Microsoft Teams.

Cindy is the current Vice President/Chief Pharmacy Officer for Riverside Health and has been very involved in this transition of the Med Boxes from the pharmacies to the EMS agencies.

One of the main goals we are seeking is to gain from the group how we can find efficiencies and build this into the existing audit processes in place and to share best practices.

If your agency would like to participate, please complete the form at this link and an invite will be sent:

https://forms.office.com/r/Y5XMcYYntj

Thank you,

Dave

Learn your trade, before you learn the tricks of the trade.