Final Policy and Procedure SubmissionIt is time to synthesize the elements of your Policy and Procedure into a document. Your document should be a 3-4-page paper, written in APA format, which draws up

Thread:

Controlled substances

Post:

RE: Controlled substances

Author:

Vondra Wesley

Posted Date:

February 9, 2019 8:17 PM

Status:

Published

Overall Rating:

I do agree that these laws have the potential to assist in combating the abuse of prescription medications. But there remain those that can convince some doctors beyond a shadow of doubt that they really do need them. There must be a form of discipline within the prescribing physicians to acknowledge when a patient is indeed in need of these medications and be observant of the patient's behavior. The number of the request being made and to offer another means of pain alleviation and this should also be the practice of Physicians who give long-term care to patients that suffer from on-going pain management issues. This should also serve to be in the practice of a Pharmacist and Pharmacy Technician. When a Technician is inputting prescription request into the system, they have access to acknowledge if this is an on-going habit of the patient or the prescriber and if it is, they should notify the Pharmacist in such a way as unbeknown to the patient. Also, I have noticed that some areas are now offering amnesty programs for abusers to turn in the drugs they have or have been abusing as well as receive free treatment and counseling. Wouldn't this be great if all abusers would resort to these programs and stick with the procedures and regimens recommended?

Help stop drug-abuse

Post:

Help stop drug-abuse

Author:

Vondra Wesley

Posted Date:

February 8, 2019 2:09 AM

Status:

Published

Overall Rating:

The current laws and regulations surrounding controlled substance prescriptions are adequate due to the prevalent epidemic surrounding the abuse of prescription medications that are currently prescribed to treat pain especially. This epidemic mostly encases our elderly, people with mental health conditions and now even our children of various ages. It was stated that college students were big on abusing these drugs, but now we see it in younger children as well. This has posed a severe health safety hazard, and numerous people have succumbed to accidental overdoses or trying to get higher than when they had taken the drugs before. Some of the younger ones have become curious and decided to explore the effects of these drugs, and many have died. There have been circumstances at which parents didn’t actually realize how dangerous these medications were and didn’t properly put them away from young hands. Children are curious and will explore. When there’s not a child safety cap on a bottle, sometimes the medication looks like candy to them. In the back of their little minds, they actually think that their parents are trying to keep the goodies away from them and ingest them anyway. Another known fact is that some medications may not immediately cause harm, but can actually trigger an addiction. The mind and body will tell a person they need more and more until there’s a severe effect of addiction or death.

Many people that are addicted to drugs also make regular visits to the emergency rooms portraying chronic pain symptoms to get a prescription to obtain these medications to satisfy their addiction. There is also a rise in patients that aren’t addicted but will portray the role to receive prescriptions for these medications to sell to abusers for money. These are some of the reasons I agree with these laws. There has to be a way of monitoring and regulating the accessibility of these medications that enhance a substantial risk of addiction to these medications. Too many people are dying unnecessarily and from every age, ethnicity, and profession. Everyone needs education on the types of drugs they receive, side effects, hazards and potential for addiction. In my opinion, I don’t feel that these laws will hinder people from getting the medication that they may need, but they’re ensuring the overall safety and protection of the patients. Doctors are to be skilled and qualified to know if their patient actually needs medication or not. There are other options such as pain management, biofeedback, and other natural alternatives to ensure comfort. As for the role of a Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician, it suits well to be observant of a patients behavior and their medical profile before filling a controlled substance prescription. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3328297/, 2019)

In closing, I currently work in a hospital sometimes in the role of a patient sitter. In this role, I oversee for the safety of patients mainly being bought in under The Baker Act and the majority of these patients were drug abusers or overdose victims. Some made it, and some didn't. They were over various ages, but none of these circumstances are pleasant to witness.

Comments

Feedback to Learner 2/12/19 12:35 PM

Vondra: Great job in answering the discussion forum question regarding controlled substance regulations and also responding to your peers! These laws are in place to help deter fraud and abuse but may make it more difficult for certain patients such as the elderly to physically get the prescriptions. Nice job with your posts!

______________________________________________________________________________ PTCB- https://ptcb.org/

The Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam is administered year-round by Pearson VUE (Pearson Professional Centers) nationwide. Pearson VUE has more than 1,400 centers nationwide including more than 100 military on-base sites. The cost of the Certified Pharmacy Technician certification is $129.00 and must be taken within 90-days upon board approval of the application. There is currently no limit to an infinite number of exam attempts, but candidates are encouraged to prepare appropriately for each attempt by increasing their knowledge. Candidates who fail the PTCE must wait for 60-days from the date of the most recent attempt to apply for the second and third attempts, and six months after that. Each time an attempt is made to retake the PTCE a fee of $129.00 must be paid. The amount of time allocated to take the PTCE is two hours, and the test consists of ninety multiple choice questions (80 questions are scored, and 10 questions are unscored). Due to the complexity of the scoring process, PTCB uses a scaled scoring system since there are different forms of the PTCE administered every year and these forms may fluctuate slightly in difficulty. The passing scale score at which one may pass is 1400(with a range of 1000-1600). Practicing Certified Pharmacy Technicians are required to renew their certification every two years at the cost of $40.00 application fee. For late renewal recertification, there is an additional charge of $25.00 and a $10.00 reprocessing fee. Upon recertification Continuing Education (CE’s) are required to maintain an active certification status and must be Pharmacy Technician-specific. For recertification, the PTCB requires twenty hours continuing education including one hour in the subject of Pharmacy Law and one hour in the subject of Patient Safety or twenty hours Continuing education, including two hours of Pharmacy Law and one hour of Patient Safety (whichever set is requested). A max of twenty hours may be earned by completing a relevant three academic credit hour college course with a grade average of “C” or better. As of Jan. 1, 2018, The PTCB no longer accepts in service Continuing Education (CE) hours and the records of Continuing Education hours earned. During each recertification period, Continuing Education must be maintained for at least one year after the certification cycle ends. ("Home", 2019) FLORIDA REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTERED PHARMACY TECHNICIANS https://floridaspharmacy.gov/

To practice in the role of a pharmacy technician in the State of Florida, you are required to register with the Florida Board of Pharmacy. To register with the Florida Board of Pharmacy, an applicant must submit: Pharmacy Technician Registration Application (form DH-MQA-PH1183), Social Security form, proof of Board Approved Pharmacy Technician Training Program completion. Official transcripts from official educational providers will be accepted. Employer-based training programs can be verified online at www.flhealthsource.gov. Failure to submit evidence of an appropriate Pharmacy training program will result in an insufficiency letter being sent to you and will delay your application process. All sections of the application must be completed. If you answer “yes” to any of the criminal record inquiries on the application, you must submit a reply giving all certified official court copies and details of any supportive documents for the board to review. If an item is not applicable, indicate with N/A. N/A is not an adequate answer for yes or no questions and could delay the processing. Failure to submit a completed application will result in a delay in processing. If you provide untruthful information, the board may deny your application for registration. The application accompanied with a non-refundable application fee of $50.00 and an initial registration fee of $50.00 and an unlicensed application fee of $5.00 for a total of $105.00. Money order or Certified check should be made payable to The Florida Department of Health. Upon receipt of your application and supporting documentation your file will be reviewed, and written notification will be sent regarding the status of your application. If your file is incomplete, a deficiency letter will be sent to notify you of any remaining requirements. The actual copy of your license should arrive within seven days of the issue date. In the State of Florida Licensees, registrants and permit holders with the Florida Board of Pharmacy are under obligation to renew their licenses every two years (biennially) to maintain the right to practice. The Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance, will now evaluate your continuing education histories in the electronic tracking system at the time of renewal. It will happen automatically when you renew your license. If you choose to renew BEFORE your license expires, your fees will be $55.00. Continuing Education (CE) Requirements- General Hours 18 hours (General hours can be either ACPE or Board approved, four of the twenty must be live), Medication Errors two hours (Medication Errors Must be Board Approved). SPECIAL NOTE: First-Time Biennium Renewal: If you are renewing your license for the first time and the renewal occurs less than twelve months after the original licensure date you are only required to complete one hour in HIV/AIDS and two medication errors. If your renewal occurs twelve months or more after your initial licensure date, you are required to complete 9 (2 must be live) general hours of registered pharmacy technician continuing education, 1-hour HIV/AIDS and two medication errors. The state in which I will be working is Florida and Florida does not require for a person to be certified. Applying to take the PTCB in Florida is not considered to be enrollment in a Board-approved training program. You are not allowed to work as a pharmacy technician except you are registered or enrolled in a Board-approved training program. If you desire to work while waiting to take the PTCB, you must be enrolled in a Board-approved training program. According to the State of Florida, the ratio at which a Pharmacist can supervise Pharmacy Technicians is 3 to 1. (Pharmacy, 2019)

The four areas that I can identify from the PTCE blueprint that I feel I could use more improvement on and study more about before taking the exam are all related to compounding. The dosage calculations that are used in compounding, sterile compounding process, determining product stability in compounding, batch preparation. In these areas, I know that I need to study a bit harder with practice lessons. But overall this program has been more of a refresher for me since I have experienced working in both hospital and retail and pharmacy settings. But my overall preference would be to Not work in a compounding environment. Even though it is a beneficial life-sustaining practice, it is hazardous and complicated, especially when compounding for cancer treatments or patient administration. CALCULATIONS Pharmacology for Technicians- 1.4* Strengths/dose, dosage forms, physical appearance, routes of administration, and duration of drug therapy. Sterile and Non-Sterile Compounding- 3.3* Documentation (e.g., batch preparation, compounding record), 3.4* Determine product stability (e.g., beyond use dating, signs of incompatibility), 3.6* Sterile compounding processes, 3.7* Non-sterile compounding processes. Medication Order Entry and Fill Process- Order entry process, 6.2* Intake, interpretation, and data entry, 6.3* Calculate doses required, 6.6* Packaging requirements (e.g., type of bags, syringes, glass, PVC, child-resistant, light-resistant). Pharmacy Inventory Management- 7.3* Ordering and receiving processes (e.g., maintain par levels, rotate stock). Pharmacy Billing and Reimbursement- 8.2* Third party resolution (e.g., prior authorization, rejected claims, plan limitations). ("Home", 2019)

Feedback to Learner 2/12/19 3:27 PM

Vondra: Great job in answering the questions regarding PTCB and Board of Pharmacy! Your answers are complete and informative. Keep up the good work!