Explore the complexities of identifying drug diversion of injectable opioids and other anesthetic drugs with Dr. Keith Berge from Mayo Clinic.
Injectable opioids and other anesthetic drugs administered through injection are highly coveted by healthcare workers who divert drugs using a variety of techniques, such as dilution, to divert these drugs while still appearing to administer them to patients. Detecting such diversion can be challenging since most of these drugs are clear and colorless. However, implementing a robust system to capture and assay "waste" drugs can help uncover these illicit activities.
Join Dr. Keith Berge, Emeritus, from the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Mayo Clinic, as he explores current strategies for combating this critical issue and improving patient safety.
Key takeaways
- Common methods used to divert injectable drugs in nursing and anesthesia, and the associated detection challenges.
- The importance of waste recovery and assay testing as a protective measure for patient safety.
- An overview of available technologies for assaying waste drugs.
- Best practice examples and proactive measures that healthcare organizations can implement to prevent the diversion of injectable drugs, safeguarding both their employees and patients.