The DEA keeps a vigilant eye on healthcare providers that deal with controlled substances. The agency investigates different types of drug crimes that can emanate from the medical end of things. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is responsible for investigating illegal drug use in the USA. Apart from apprehending drug traffickers and drug addicts, the DEA also regulates all aspects of handling of controlled substances – right from using DEA forms for controlled substances to recordkeeping, security and more. Indeed, healthcare frauds involving prescription medications are often the root of illegal drug usage. This is why all healthcare providers – from regular practitioners and veterinarians to hospitals and pharmacies – that prescribe, administer or dispense scheduled drugs are required to register themselves with the DEA and obtain the requisite license. These registrants then have to abide by a host of rules and regulations concerning the storage, security, recording, dispensing and more. The DEA can conduct unannounced audits at any time to check for compliance or investigate tips of violations. Some of the crimes that the DEA investigates are:
Indeed, healthcare practitioners and pharmacists have easy access to controlled substances. They can easily sell them without prescriptions to people who don’t need them for medical reasons. They can even supply them to drug dealers who will sell them to such people. Some even go to the extent of issuing fake prescriptions which again becomes akin to drug diversion. In fact, the interaction with the DEA begins with the registration process itself. While some facilities manage to get the license easily, others may face ‘show cause notice’, hearing or denial. In extreme cases, it can even involve licensing action or a federal investigation. Even during the normal course of work, the DEA can spring up at any moment for an inspection. And the audit cannot even be denied in certain cases. DEA Compliance Specialists to the Rescue Rather than being dogged by fears of being pulled up by the DEA and an inadvertent violation putting a spanner in the works, it is always better to engage the service of a DEA compliance professional. A compliance security program can handle all aspects involving the DEA. It starts with getting the requisite DEA registration and license and keeping it updated at all times. They will also ensure compliance with all the reporting norms – like DEA Form 222 for ordering, DEA Form 106 for theft/loss and DEA Form 41 for destruction.In addition to this, it will also maintain a complete and accurate record of all other paper work involving purchase, sale or distribution apart from receipts and invoices. They will also look into the prescriptions, storage, security and access facets of the business. The experts will further review the regulatory compliance audit preparation of the facility and conduct mock DEA inspections to ensure that everything is above board. And compliance experts cannot get better than the Titan Group!
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