As healthcare organizations face increasing pressure to enhance patient safety and regulatory compliance, AI-driven surveillance is emerging as a strategic asset in combating drug diversion. However, only 37.5% of respondents to a recent survey report using AI tools for drug diversion detection.
AI and drug diversion software create a critical monitoring system
Advanced platforms are revolutionizing detection by integrating data. Strategically focus on these eight critical monitoring practices ranging from medication dispensing to infusion pump analytics where drug diversion AI technology can significantly enhance detection and prevention efforts:
1. Monitoring continuous infusion and PCA infusions
Continuous and PCA infusions are high-risk for diversion due to the volume and potency of opioids. Effective monitoring helps ensure that these medications are administered safely and used by the intended patients. It also allows for detecting anomalies, such as discrepancies in medication volumes, unusual administration patterns, or frequent overrides in automated dispensing cabinets. AI software can consolidate information from infusion pumps, documentation in flowsheets, and MAR records to identify discrepancies alleviating the labor-intensive processes required to monitor manually.
2. Monitoring anesthesia alerts for start and end procedure times
Another essential component of a comprehensive drug diversion program is monitoring anesthesia alerts for start and end procedure times. By closely tracking the start and end times of procedures, we can correlate the administration of medications highly susceptible to diversion with the documented duration of anesthesia, ensuring that all administered drugs align correctly with patient care activities. Discrepancies may signal diversion. For example, if a significant amount of a controlled substance is documented as used outside of the scheduled procedure times or someone not credentialed accesses the drugs, it raises a red flag for potential diversion.
3. Corresponding orders for medication administration
Administering medication without an order is a key diversion risk. The absence of an order means there is no official record or clinical justification for the medication's use, creating an opportunity for individuals to exploit this gap for unauthorized purposes. Medication overrides are a critical dispensing practice to review and audit. AI can trend data from medication overrides to identify users who may be exploiting this gap to divert medications. Strict protocol adherence helps prevent diversion and ensures compliance.
4. Drug diversion AI technology alerts tailored to healthcare workers' workflows
Tailoring diversion alerts to each healthcare worker's role improves detection and prevents medication misuse.
- Nurse's workflow involves administering medications directly to patients, often during high-stress and fast-paced shifts. Drug diversion technology for nurses should focus on timely, point-of-care alerts that warn of potential discrepancies quickly. This allows for swift corrective actions and minimizes the risk of errors or intentional diversion.
- Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians manage medication preparation, dispensing, and inventory control. Their workflows often include detailed documentation and inventory management tasks, so diversion alerts for these roles should emphasize tracking inventory discrepancies or frequent overrides of standard procedures. By flagging these specific activities, the technology can help identify and address potential diversion at the point of medication handling.
- Anesthesia workflow often involves administering controlled substances without explicit physician orders to various patients in differing surgical procedures. Drug diversion alerts in this area can track the amount of controlled substances administered per procedure, detect anomalous usage patterns, and ensure that documented amounts of administrations and wastes match dispensed amounts.
