Sheldon S. Sones, RPh, FASCP, is president of Sheldon S. Sones and Associates, a pharmacy and accreditation consulting firm based in Newington, Conn.
Q: How often should we conduct narcotic and pharmacy audits?
Sheldon Sones: The requirement for pharmacy consultant audits varies state by state. The AAAHC and The Joint Commission "likes" quarterly audits (but I can't show you that in writing). In a regulatory sense, ASCs should assure that they are adhering to their policy and contract regarding this service. My experience is that less frequently than quarterly visits falls short. For my clients, probably 90 percent are quarterly, the remainder monthly. The latter is usually for hospital-affiliated facilities and reflects The Joint Commission monthly unit inspection requirements. Again, some states require monthly reviews.
Narcotic audits should be conducted twice daily: at start of the day and at the end of day by staff and as part of your pharmacy consultant services. One more caveat: The facility should be able to document exactly (by copy of invoices) what narcotics came in the front door. This is required in many states. By maintaining a file of invoice copies which would identify what was purchased/received, and the copy of the biennial inventory, the facility could show on audit their "start point" (biennial), supply added and supply on hand, thus enabling a successful audit.
Finally, and perhaps most important: The biennial inventory is due on odd years on or about May 1. The next is due May 1, 2011. This is federally mandated.
Learn more about Sheldon S. Sones and Associates and www.sheldonsones.com.