Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Special Edition: Opioids - January 2020 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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care areas. "One of the big issues we've seen is recovery room nurses not auditing opioid transactions," says Ms. New. "A number of cases have involved PACU nurses pulling 2 pills, but giving only 1. Nobody was auditing the actual administration records, so no one knew. The issue went unnoticed until things spiraled out of control." 2. Secure storage Automated locking carts are the Rolls-Royce of opioid security. "It's the most secure and accountable way of managing controlled substances," says Ms. New. "You have an automated trail, so you know who's gained access to what." Absent automation, a manually locking storage cart is the next best thing, says Ms. New. But don't lull yourself into thinking a strong lock is all you need. "I strongly recommend facilities focus a video camera on the cart that's storing controlled drugs," she adds. "And keep the key stored in a separate location, like a wall-mounted lock box, to prevent widespread access to the stored drugs." Ms. New says it's convenient to have one central storage location for controlled substances. She's also seen some facilities that have manual locking storage cabinets pack other expensive supplies into the cabinet with controlled drugs. That's a medication security no-no. "Designated storage carts should contain only controlled drugs," she says. "Remember, you want to reduce the number of times staff members need to gain access to that location." 3. Accurate counts Perform a count of controlled drugs at both the beginning and end of every shift or day of surgery. "If you have any discrepancies or issues, you'll be able to recognize them as quickly as possible," says Ms. New. Ms. New also stresses that 2 staff members should perform end-of- 4 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0

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