The 2023 controlled substance assessment quiz is about to be released!
This is our first annual competency assessment focused on controlled substances and regulatory compliance. Ongoing education and assessments of staff in the handling of controlled substances not only helps with compliance, it’s also a great way to enhance patient safety. How are you assessing your staff? With our comprehensive assessment, you can easily assess your staff and help reduce your liability.
If you read my post in December about How Much Does Compliance Cost, you know that not following proper processes and poor documentation can lead to patient harm and/or large fines from regulatory agencies such as the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In my last post, “How to Prevent Drug Diversion”, I discussed where diversion is most likely to happen, the impacts diversion can have and what you can do to minimize your risk.
Assessing staff competency is a requirement of the licensing and accrediting organizations such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), Quad A and The Joint Commission (TJC). Most facilities struggle with developing and implementing annual staff assessments, but there is a simple solution available they may not be taking advantage of…their consultant pharmacist.
Your consultant pharmacist should be expert in this area and work with the facility to develop and implement a comprehensive tool to use throughout the year. In addition to our routine visits and guidance, at OctariusRx we offer several annual assessments including one on the handling of controlled substances. This quiz educates and further develops the knowledge base of staff members who take it. Our goal is not only to assess but also to educate, and we accomplish regulatory compliance at the same time.
What does the quiz cover and how do you get one?
The quiz focuses on some of the basic elements managing controlled substances. The goal of education and assessments is to ensure facility staff are well rounded and generally knowledgeable. Our clients will be receiving the newest assessment quiz during our next visit. As usual, the quiz is continually updated and comes with a complete answer key to make grading easier.
Throughout the year, we provided quizzes on Nursing Medication Calculations, Medication Safety and Hazardous Drugs to help your staff hone their skills and let you assess their abilities. We are adding the opportunity to educate and assess on controlled substances to help keep both patients and staff safe. Take the quiz and see how you do!
If you have questions about handling controlled substances or if you are unsure of your current handling processes, let us know and we are happy to point you in the right direction.
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.
