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There are a variety of medical institutions that handle prescription drugs on a regular basis, such as clinics, physicians’ practices, hospitals, and ambulances. Each one of these entities is entrusted with transporting or administering medication so that patients receive the care they need.
But throughout that process, it is crucial to record documentation of who is in control of the medication at all times to make sure it is not ruined, lost, or tampered with. Here is a discussion of the importance of having chains of custody and other security measures in place for medical professionals who handle pharmaceuticals.
Prescription medications pass through multiple hands between the time that they are developed from raw materials to when a patient uses them. Pharmaceutical companies have implemented programs to add unique labels to medication packages that have a serial number linked to a corresponding database. The goal of these programs is to provide trackability from start to finish. This helps to eliminate fake medications and sub-standard medications to serve patients in the best way possible. Automated tracking systems can help keep a record of pharmaceutical chain of custody so that the relevant parties can access tracking records at any time.
Not only can chain of custody measures help ensure the integrity of medications, but they can also build a brand’s reputation and save money. Highly publicized breaches of chain of custody can be incredibly damaging in terms of human health, maintaining trust, and expenses. With the rising costs of healthcare, it’s very important to reduce and eliminate risks of theft and degradation due to improper handling.
Healthcare providers, like clinics, hospitals, and physical practices, typically receive pharmaceuticals from an authorized distributor of record (ADR) or licensed distributor. These distributors play an essential role in providing order sizes of pharmaceuticals to healthcare providers as they need them for patients.
For healthcare providers of all types and sizes, here are some security tips to keep in mind as you receive and distribute pharmaceuticals.
Superior Bag’s pharmaceutical transport bags establish a chain of custody, list the type of medication and dosage, and identify dates of transit and receipt. These bags are customized for the medical industry and come in various sizes and colors. Having the right transport bag for the job will help you make sure medications don’t fall into the wrong hands, lose potency, or unnecessarily cost you money. If your organization needs to send pharmaceuticals to other facilities, read our Best Practices for Shipping Prescription Pharmaceuticals to learn more about shipping procedures.
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