Controlled Substance Management in Veterinary Medicine is a free veterinary CE offering made possible through the generous educational support of Epicur® Pharma.
Controlled substances are a classification of medications that have a potential for emotional and/or physical abuse which necessitates the need for tighter regulations. However, which regulations apply to which medications, and how to comply, can get confusing.
This course covers not only federal regulations, but looks at topics that states may choose to modify to be more stringent. While there are regulations, there is not necessarily one correct way to comply. The course reviews various methods that could be used in different practice settings to comply with the requirements.
The course also examines DEA number regulations, storage and inventory management protocol considerations, ordering and transporting, prescribing vs. dispensing, diversion awareness, and practice protocol documentation.
After completion of this course, the student should be able to:
- explain the opioid problem in the United States and list examples of diversion
- describe what a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) is and potential problems with it in veterinary medicine
- describe the classification system of controlled substances and provide examples of medications within each level
- outline the regulations at the federal level and explain how to find state specific requirements
- explain which veterinarians are required to hold a DEA number and how to obtain one
- explain the components of a federal/state compliance effective record keeping system
- explain the protocol for compliance level storage of controlled substances
- discuss inventory management including ordering, types of inventory components, and transporting controlled substances
- discuss the pros and cons of various disposal options
- outline potential reasons for inventory discrepancy and how to address
- describe federal prescribing requirements and know where to find state-specific requirements
- compare and contrast prescribing vs. dispensing
- list ways to identify and prevent diversion within the practice
- discuss creating a protocol