This question has been asked quite a bit lately and the answer may surprise you. Does your facility have a process in place for ordering controlled substances? Do you need to change it?

These days, it seems like everything is becoming electronic. Even the supermarkets are moving away from people at the cash registers and replacing them with an electronic cashier. Although there are advantages to going electronic, it isn’t for everyone, and it isn’t always necessary. When it comes to ordering controlled substances, the same is true.

You can order controlled substances via the Controlled Substance Ordering System (CSOS), but it isn’t necessary. The CSOS system also allows for the electronic transmission of controlled substance orders between registrants and distributors or manufacturers, without the use of the paper DEA-222 form. Anyone who is allowed to order DEA Schedule II medications, can do so using CSOS.

Is using CSOS mandatory? In this week’s client newsletter, we answer this question and also discuss details necessary to maintain compliance with controlled substance ordering via CSOS. If you’d like help with controlled substance compliance, or medication management in general, let us know.

The Consultant Pharmacists at OctariusRx provide guidance on safe medication management, survey readiness and cost savings to ambulatory healthcare facilities/surgery centers, senior care facilities and pharmacies. We also help individual patients optimize their medications to improve their quality of life and save money. Contact us for assistance.