Paper prescription pads now securely stored

Moving is chaotic, even when it’s thoughtfully planned and brilliantly executed. Whether you’re moving your home, your business or your hospital that’s been in the same location for more than 100 years, picking up every pen, painting and person and moving them to a new location is a whirlwind. And nothing illustrates that quite like touring the old building you’ve just left, after “everything” is “gone.”

The detritus that remained in the old Lutheran Medical Center building was illuminating. One surprise: Every department was littered with blank prescription pads, as if they’d fallen from the ceiling like indoor snow.

Situation/Background

At Legacy Lutheran Medical Center, prescription pad storage was inconsistent and unsecure. Further, data show the demand for prescription pads has been much higher at Lutheran Hospital compared to Platte Valley and Good Samaritan hospitals. Not only outsized by comparison, with e-prescribing, that level of demand is unnecessary.

Assessment/Plan

The hospital move and updated controlled substance policy make it the perfect time to implement changes to how prescription pads are stored and used as an ongoing effort to minimize diversion risk. According to the Controlled Substances Management Acute Care Policy, prescription pads are to be stored securely.

Given the fact prescription pad usage should be limited to rare circumstances, such as Epic downtimes, prescription pads are now housed in the inpatient pharmacy automated dispensing cabinet to more effectively track individual prescription requests.

Orders should be transmitted electronically through Epic, unless a paper prescription is needed, in which case the order should be entered into Epic and then printed and signed by the practitioner.

Physicians with questions can contact Lutheran CMO Kathy Crabtree, MD. Thank you for your support in making care safer and the business of healthcare more secure (and less cluttered!).