The Closed System of Controlled Substance Dispensing Flashcards
What does it mean to have a legitimate medical purpose and usual course of professional practice?
Acting in accordance with a standard of medical practice generally recognized and accepted in the United States
What is an example of the Scope of Practice?
Dentists are IPs, however they are not trained in the differential diagnosis of cough and therefore, should not be prescribing for this purpose
What is the meaning of Corresponding Responsibility?
- Pharmacists are legally responsible for the proper dispensing of controlled substances
- Knowingly standard is one of the conscious disregard for the obvious
- When suspicions exist, pharmacist is expected to exercise professional judgement and investigate
Pharmacists will more likely face enforcement action in situations that what?
Where there is blatant or glaring misconduct
What are the Prescriber Red Flags?
- Prescriber is outside pharmacy trade area
- Does not have relationship with patient (no medical evaluation)
- Routinely writes for large quantities of CDS
- Writes the same CDS prescriptions repeatedly
- Always provides the same diagnosis
- Writes outside scope of practice
What are the Patient Red Flags?
- Patient insists on paying cash
- Doctor or pharmacy shopping
- Resides outside the pharmacy trade area
- Asks for controlled substance by the color or manufacturer or street names
- Routinely attempts to get early refills
- Groups arriving together form the same prescriber with the same medications
- Arriving at peak or closing times and asking you to rush
What are the Prescription Red Flags?
- Prescriptions written in dangerous combinations
- Multiple long-acting or short-acting opioids prescribed together
- Written for usually high dose or quantity
An example of prescription red flag of a dangerous combination is what?
Cocktails: opioid, benzo, muscle relaxant
Red Flags are what?
Circumstances surrounding the presentation of a Controlled Substance about the validity of a prescription
What can be an example of Documenting Resolution of Red Flags?
Asking the patient something, something to fall back on
What are ways to Resolve a Red Flag?
- Look at security features of prescription
- Verify DEA number
- Review PMP
- Ask the patient questions
- Contact prescriber
What are Security Features of a controlled substance prescription (written Rx)
- Watermarks: prevent photocopying
- Stamps or Embossing
- Quantity check-off boxes
- Signature line is microtext
- Void is more than one prescription is written per blank
What are the features of a DEA Number?
- Consist of 9 digits
- Typically 2 letters then 7 computer generated numbers
What does the 1st letter indicate in the DEA Number?
A, B, G, and F = dispensers
M = mid-level practitoner
P, R= distributors
What does the 2nd letter indicate in the DEA Number?
First letter of registrant’s last name or first letter of the business name
What are the steps for Verifying a DEA Number?
- 1st + 3rd + 5th
- (2nd + 4th + 6th) x 2
- Sum 1st and 2nd steps
- Last digit from step 3 = last number of DEA number
What are Prescription Monitoring Programs?
State PMPs require pharmacies to electronically transmit to the state a record of CDC prescriptions dispensed
PMPs can catch what?
Excessive quantities that are being follies outside of your pharmacy, assess patient risk, and see where they are filling too soon
PMPs can track what?
Patients, Physicians, and Pharmacies
What are practical considerations with PMPs?
- You must enter at least the first 3 letters of first and last name
- Look at more than just the last fill
- Be sure to look at fill date and NOT written date
- Patients could be under multiple names
What is Refusing to Fill?
- You know that the prescription is invalid
- You believe it is unsafe or could harm the patient
What is Waiting to Fill?
- Resolution of red flags can take time
- Refilling controlled substances excessively early may put patient at risk of harm and pharmacist at risk of litigation
What are the Considerations of Pain & Addiction Treatment?
- Pain vs. Addiction
- Legitimacy
- Clinical Judgment
- Federal/State Efforts Opioid Epidemic
Differentiating treatment of Pain from Addiction is important for what reason?
Determine whether the purpose of opioid treatment is legally for pain or illegally for addiction
It is important to ascertain whether taper-down dosages are to mitigate what?
Withdrawal due to physical dependence, or for detoxification of addiction
Prescriptions filled by a pharmacy should NOT be for what?
Treatment of Addiction, only allowed within OTPs or in concordance with DATA
Legitimacy of Opioid Prescriptions in Pain Treatment is a problem, and therefore pharmacists should what?
Familiarize themselves with the medical standards of practice for diagnosing and treating pain
Clinical Judgment and Pain treatment are concerns but you must remember that what?
- Treatment of pain is a legitimate medical purpose
- Drug tolerance and physical dependence as a consequence of opioid use is normal and natural
Balancing pain treatment in an opioid epidemic is a concern when state regulations are what?
- Limiting prescribing/dispensing of controlled substances for acute pain
- Security prescription blanks, electronic prescribing mandates
What is a CDS Prescription?
An order for medication dispense to or for an ultimate user, does NOT include orders for medication dispensed for immediate admin
Therefore, CDS Prescriptions in terms of hospital orders means what?
A medication order in a hospital is not a prescription
Hospital pharmacists do not have to comply with the same record keeping and labeling requirements
What must be included in the Rx if the IP is exempted from DEA Registration?
- Name of prescriber stamped, typed, or handprinted
- Signature or prescriber
- DEA number of institution and special internal code number
In FEDERAL facilities, the IP will have what instead of a DEA number?
Service Number
In order to prescribe controlled substances IPs must what?
- Be authorized to prescribe in their state
- Be registered by DEA or exempt from registration
Only the IP can authorize controlled dangerous drug prescriptions but employees/agents of the IP can what?
Communicate prescription authorization CIII-V to pharmacist or prepare the prescription for signature of IP
Nurses, office staff, agents, etc. CANNOT have access to what?
Two-Factor authentication of the the IP to SIGN e-prescriptions
In order for a pharmacist to dispense controlled substances they must what?
- Be registered individually or employed by a DEA registered pharmacy
- Be acting in usual course of professional practice
IPs can dispense controlled substances if allowed by what?
State Law
What is REQUIRED for ALL Controlled Substance Prescriptions?
- Full Name and Address of Patient
- Name, Address, and DEA Registration # of Prescriber
- Drug Name, Drug Strength, and Dosage Form
- Quantity or Volume Prescribed
- Directions for Use
- Date of Issuance
What are other Requirements of Written CDC Prescriptions?
- Must be signed on day of issuance
- Written in ink, indelible pencil, or typed and manually signed (when e-prescribing not required by STATE)
- Corresponding liability of pharmacist that a CDS prescription complies with all requirements
Before FILING the CDS Prescription it must contain:
- Written or typed name or initials of the dispensing pharmacist
- Date dispensed and number of units or volume dispensed
Can corrections on a C-II be made by a pharmacist?
DEA allows for corrections provided it is allowed under STATE law
For C-III, C-IV, and CV a pharmacist may what to do for the information?
Pharmacist MAY ADD or CHANGE any information after consultation with practitioner and documentation EXCEPT:
1. Patient Name
2. Controlled Substance Name
3. Prescriber Signature
For dispensing C-II Drugs, what are the concerns?
- C-II must be written and signed by prescriber or signed electronically
- Refills are NOT permitted
- Transfers are NOT permitted
What is an EXCEPTION to dispensing C-II Drugs?
Emergency Situation with ORAL authorization
What is allowed for emergency situations for ORAL authorization of C-IIs?
- Only a NECESSARY quantity for the emergency period (by state)
- Pharmacist must immediately reduce to writing (fax acceptable)
- Reasonable effort to verify it is from a registered individual practitioner
For Emergency ORAL Authorization of C-IIs, what must happen WITHIN 7 DAYS?
Prescriber must deliver a written prescription to pharmacy within 7 DAYS = FEDERAL