7 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 1 9
I
nstead of discarding unused fentanyl in real time, your anes-
thesia provider aggregates all discards and brings them out
for witnessing by another licensed professional at the end of
each day. Sounds like an efficient way to handle discards,
right? Wrong.
Here's the issue: Potential drug diverters may see this process as an
opportunity to substitute the fentanyl for a substance like saline. At
the end of the day, the witness will only see clear liquid and have no
way of discerning the actual contents within.
Thanks in large part to the opioid crisis, your controlled substance
practices are under the microscope. Documentation is your best
Sheldon S. Sones, RPh, FASCP | Newington, Conn.
Your Prescription for Medication Safety
Our pharmacy consultant dispenses indispensable advice.
• MULTI-STRENGTH While you want to avoid stocking more than one strength of medication whenever possible, it's unavoid-
able for some drugs like Lidocaine.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
