New guide on prescribing controlled substances in long-term care issued

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New guide on prescribing controlled substances in long-term care issued

Physicians and other prescribers now have better guidance to get through stringent regulations on prescribing controlled substances in long-term care. It comes in the form of a new tip sheet, developed by a number of long-term care-oriented medical groups.

In order to comply with new Drug Enforcement Agency regulations, long-term care professionals must change some long-standing practices, according to Meenakshi Patel, MD, FACP, MMM, CMD, Director of Geriatrics, Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, OH. Patel helped develop the new tip sheet.

“The changes forced on us have delayed dispensing of controlled substances to long-term care facility residents who urgently need them,” she said.

Among the authors’ recommendations: Always carry a prescription pad that meets state requirements, fax prescriptions to the provider pharmacy rather than phoning them in, and

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE avoid giving verbal orders to nurses while onsite at a facility.

The “Tip Sheet on Prescribing for Controlled Substances in Long Term Care” was developed by the American Medical Directors Association, the American Geriatrics Society, the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians. More information, including a free copy of the tip sheet, is available at www.amda.com.