Affordable, Proven Solution That Protects Your Pharmacy from Narcotic Diversion While Staying DEA Compliant
Theft is a serious concern for long-term care pharmacies. Narcotic diversion, negligence, and loss of inventory not only place dangerous narcotics in the wrong hands, but also can be very costly to a pharmacy in terms of lost inventory, lost customers, and violations/fines. Employees and thieves look for easy targets. The best way to protect your LTC pharmacy from narcotic diversion is to implement secure medication/narcotic storage and the necessary corresponding safeguards to make it too difficult to steal.
Secure storage with our Portable Electronic Control Box (PECB) secures narcotics every step of the way from the pharmacy to the long-term care facility and back. To take your medication security to the next level, our Portable Electronic Control Box with Tracking Software not only provides a secure storage environment but also integrates RxSystems tracking software that offers the additional safeguards of an audit log with time and date stamps of prescription management for DEA compliance.
Long-Term Care Pharmacies
When comparing retail pharmacies and long-term care (LTC) pharmacies, the operational and regulatory differences give rise to the need for controlled inventory every step of the way from the pharmacy to the facility to the patient.
Most long-term care facilities offer medication management services through an external, unaffiliated LTC pharmacy. LTC pharmacies provide specialized medication services and clinical oversight on medication management and care coordination in the long-term care facilities.
LTC pharmacies typically provide the following core services:
- Prescription processing
- Dispensing and delivery
- Medication administration and management
- Return, reuse, and disposal of medication
Similarly, both retail and LTC pharmacies are involved in prescription processing, dispensing, and delivery. However, LTC pharmacies have the additional responsibility of medication administration and management. LTC pharmacies play an important role in the medication and care management of our aging population.
Regulations & Compliance
LTC pharmacies are required to adhere to DEA regulations, CSA guidelines, and HIPPA regulations. Our Portable Electronic Control Box with Tracking Software enables LTC pharmacies to adopt a safe, secure, and affordable medication management solution that is in compliance with DEA, CSA, and HIPAA regulations.
DEA Compliance
LTC pharmacies are required to adhere to the strict guidelines set forth by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Control Substances Act (CSA).
The Control Substances Act (CSA) is enforced by the DEA and specifies the federal drug policy on the manufacturing, importation, possession, use and distribution of certain narcotics, stimulants, steroids, depressants, hallucinogens, etc. Pharmacies and individuals who order, handle, store, and/or distribute controlled substances must maintain accurate inventories, records, and security of controlled substances.
As a law enforcement agency, the DEA can assess both civil and criminal penalties. Violations result in increasing levels of penalty – a $10,000 fine to the licensee for each violation, suspension of controlled substance registration, and prison sentences. With the increase in spot inspections by the DEA over recent years, it is now more important than ever to be compliant.
Nursing homes and other long-term care facilitates use our Portable Electronic Control Boxes with Tracking Software as an affordable medication management solution to comply with the standards of practice and federal regulations for nursing facilities set forth by the DEA and the Control Substance Act of 1970.
HIPAA Compliance
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) specifies data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding patient and medical information. HIPAA details the acceptable uses and disclosures of protected health information (PHI), specifies the standards for secure storage and transmission of PHI, and protects patient’s right to obtain copies of PHI.
HIPPA requires pharmacies to conduct a risk analysis to identify any risk to confidentiality of PHI and implement safeguards to protect that confidentiality. By using secure software from RxSystems, pharmacies can accurately monitor the medications every step of the way while ensuring the PHI remains protected and is confidential.
DEA & HIPAA Compliance at an Affordable Price
Designed specifically for LTC pharmacies, our Portable Electronic Control Boxes with Tracking Software provide affordable, efficient, safe, secure, HIPAA compliant, and DEA compliant medication management system.
Riemer Systems provides the hardware and TS-TEK powers the RxSytems software. There are two key differentiating factors from the competition:
- Our Portable Electronic Control Box with Tracking Software integrates with RxSystems’ web-based application. The web-based application enables online access, so there is no need to buy a software license for a dedicated computer.
- Our Portable Electronic Control Box with Tracking Software secures the medications every step of the way from the pharmacy to the facility to the patient, not just at the point of dispensing.
The RxSystems software application is provided at a fraction of the cost to comparable systems on the market. Furthermore, it can be adopted at a low initial cost and is scaled over time. You can start with one box and scale in time. The software is very adaptable and designed to support 1,000 to 50,000 beds in a facility. Riemer Systems also offers a leasing option to eliminate difficult to achieve capital funding requests (contact us to discuss our leasing options).
How Our Product Will Benefit Your Pharmacy
Our Portable Electronic Control Boxes with Tracking Software will help you:
- Comply with DEA regulations, CSA guidelines, and HIPAA regulations.
- Avoid penalties and fines for DEA non-compliance.
- Secure your inventory from the pharmacy to facility to patient.
- Record step-by-step tracking of dispensed drugs.
- Provide an audit log with time and date stamps for appropriate use.
- Capture required prescription information (i.e. patient, doctor, etc.)
- Increase medication security and safety.
- Reduce narcotic diversion and medication loss.
- Ensure accurate medication dispensing.
Furthermore, our Portable Electronic Control Boxes with Tracking Software are:
- Built to last with sturdy and secure high-density polyethylene construction.
- Includes an easy carrying handle with fold down feature.
- Requires keyless access with a secondary backup key safety override.
- Features easy to read, large number, moisture proof, backlit electronic keypads.
- Can be customized with the appropriate lock for your needs (How to choose the right lock for your locking cabinet).
If your LTC pharmacy is in need of an affordable, efficient, safe, secure, HIPAA compliant, and DEA compliant medication management system, request a quote for our Portable Electronic Control Box with Tracking Software.
Browse Portable Electronic Control Boxes
Shop our medication lock boxes online. If you are buying in bulk, please request a quote for a quantity discount. If you don’t find a product on our website that meets your needs contact us and let us know what you are looking for and we can develop a solution for you.