One of the most significant issues facing hospitals and other facilities is the diversion of controlled substances meant for patients by physicians, pharmacists, nurses and other trusted healthcare employees.
Recent employee diversion of significant controlled substance quantities from hospitals has resulted in large civil monetary settlements, some in the millions of dollars, and costly compliance remediation programs to resolve allegations. Controlled substances are a necessary component in providing medical care to patients, and recent employee diversion incidents illustrate the continued vulnerability of hospitals. Hospitals that fail to fulfill their obligations under the federal Controlled Substances Act and DEA regulations pose serious health risks to patients for undertreatment and worse, and to employees for overdose and death. Employee diversion can also result in unwanted local and national publicity.
I will be presenting "Recent Hospital Employee Diversion: Mistakes Made, Lessons Learned," focusing on this timely topic, at the World Conference Forum's 2025 Opioid & Fentanyl Abuse Management Congress in San Diego on February 20th. Attendees will learn:
- How employees in some high-profile cases were able to divert significant controlled substance quantities
- Red flags that hospitals were missed
- Safeguards to minimize internal diversion risks
- Best practices for maximizing diversion detection
I am also hosting a workshop entitled "Everything You've Always Wanted to Ask a (Former) Diversion Investigator But Were Afraid to Ask" the same day.
Click here to learn more about the Opioid & Abuse Management Congress.
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