Safe Handling is a better way to manage your medications
A Safe Handling environment protects pets, veterinary staff, and the communities they live in from the dangers of dosing errors and drug diversion
Why Safe Handling?
A host of ‘controlled substances’ and other powerful medications are used everyday in veterinary practices for sedation and pain control. They are carefully regulated by the DEA and other state and federal agencies. Unfortunately, these medications have increasingly become a target for theft and misuse (known as diversion), endangering veterinary staff, the pets they care for, and members of the community.
The Safe Handling Method counters the increased risk posed by controlled substances with hospital-grade technology, comprehensive employee screening, and required training for our clinical staff.
The Stats
107,000
fentanyl
deaths
In 2022, and growing
over 25% each year
90% of all
substance
theft is from
employees
75% have stolen from employer
& 60% would steal if they
knew they wouldn’t get caught
15% rise in
costs from
theft
Year over year
Core Elements
There are several core elements of a Safe Handling environment necessary to keep pets and humans safe.
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State Training & Licensing
Many states mandate several hours of Continuing Education on opioid safety, and some states require licensing in addition to federal (DEA) licensure
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Automated DEA Logs
The DEA requires all practitioners to record every dose of controlled substances administered or dispensed in their facility. Automation helps to ensure these logs are accurate.
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Single-item Access
Each sensitive medication must have its own individually-locked compartment. With traditional lockboxes, every drug is behind a single door, facilitating abuse and errors.
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Biometric ID
Access to controlled substances in the practice should be safeguarded by fingerprint identification. This is more secure than keys, passwords or lock combinations, which can can be shared.
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Witness Requirement
Two different staff members should be required to access the most sensitive drugs, protecting against dosing errors, theft, abuse, and abuse
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Computerized Dispensing
Having a computerized system physically dispense each medication helps eliminate selection and dosing errors.
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Access to Mental Health Resources
Veterinary medicine can be extremely stressful, and access to resources like CLEAR Blueprint from NOMV can protect staff from risk of self-harm.
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Employee Background Screening
Prospective employees with a history of a opioid abuse and/or violence can pose added risk. Hiring decisions should be made with full transparency.
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Prescription Reporting
Daily submission of prescriptions filled through our pharmacy to the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.
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Physical Security for Drugs of Concern
Not all medications. that pose a risk to patients and the community are federally controlled substances. Gabapentin, Xylazine and other ‘dangerous drugs’ should be locked up.
A Matter of Life and Death
In addition to helping to protect your pet and prevent addiction, experts agree that a Safe Handling environment could help stem the suicide epidemic that has plagued veterinary medicine for a generation. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control concluded that veterinarians were 2-4 times as likely to die from suicide as were members of the U.S. general population.
