Practice Strategies

Is Liability Lurking In Your Sample Cabinet?

There could be trouble lurking among all those blister packs in your office sample cabinet. For your patients' safety, and to minimize your potential liability, it's important to develop policies and procedures for storing, tracking and dispensing pharmacy samples.

1)Ban staff from sampling. Tell employees that taking samples is not a“job perk" — it constitutes theft and is grounds for termination.

2) Control access. It may not be practical to keep samples under lock and key during the day, but you should certainly lock them up at night. Appoint a medical assistant or other clinical staffer to manage your storage area, keeping it stocked, maintaining an inventory and guarding against pilferage.

3) Store meds properly. The temperature in your storage area should be between 57 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid degrading the medications. Make sure the area is well-lit, and store medications with similar names (e.g., Celexa and Celebrex) far apart to reduce the chances of someone picking the wrong drug.

4) Cull regularly. Periodically cull expired samples. Make the job easier by rewriting the dates with big bold numbers before they're shelved, or use color-coded stickers to denote expiration dates.

5) Keep an inventory. In the event of a drug recall, you’ll need to know which patients to contact. An inventory can also help you monitor expiration dates and detect theft. Consider a basic hard-copy form to log in samples received from pharmaceutical reps and a log-out form showing the patient's name, the name of the drug and pertinent information like the lot number, the date it was dispensed and the name of the physician.

For more information about our services to the healthcare industry, Contact:
Maxine Lawyer, Director of Healthcare Services at 972.448.6905.

The articles in this newsletter are general in nature and are not a substitute for accounting, legal, or other professional services. We assume no liability for the reader's reliance on this information. Before implementing any of the ideas contained in this publication, consult a professional advisor to determine whether they apply to your unique circumstances.
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