When it comes to controlled substance’s compliance, there is no “Easy Button”.
At Simple Solutions for Vets, our services are designed to uncomplicate controlled substance requirements.
These Services were developed to help veterinarians operate more efficiently according to regulatory guidelines within highly regulated environments.
DEA regulations form the baseline. Concurrently, state-by-state controlled substance requirements create an added level of complication which can be a daunting task.
So, how do you keep up with it all?
Simple Solutions offers a full suite of Services to meet your DEA and state regulatory compliance needs.
Entry Services
Not sure if you are 100% DEA compliant? Let us help you find the services you need.
No matter what species you care for, Simple Solutions is there for your controlled substance compliance needs.
Education & Training
Education and training is key to employee success. Simple Solutions offers a myriad of education and training resources for all members of the veterinary practice team, at all levels. Programs range from general to customized, with delivery options offered in both live and virtual settings.
Whether you’re training and educational needs are for new hires during the onboarding process or experienced team members taking on new roles and responsibilities, Simple Solutions provides content specifically targeted to your needs.
As a RACE-approved continuing education (“CE”) provider, Simple Solutions also offers accredited programs.
Compliance Assessments
Compliance Assessments are similar to a gap analysis, designed to evaluate each aspect of controlled substance operations against Federal (DEA) regulatory requirements. The process is minimally invasive and provides a high-level understanding of a facility’s level of compliancy so that areas requiring improvement are identified and addressed with corrective action. This is essentially a wellness check for the health of your practice with regard to controlled substance compliance.
Compliance Audits
Compliance Audits are an in-depth, thorough review of all aspects of a facility’s controlled substance inventory, processes and procedures as well as overall controlled substance management. Compliance Audits are much more extensive than a Compliance Assessment and are typically conducted when issues such as theft, significant loss or other serious matters are identified. In contrast to an assessment, Compliance Audits are treating identified issues and concerns.
An audit is a deeper dive into identified issues. These symptoms
might include, but are not limited to:
- Confirmed or suspected theft or significant loss of controlled substances
- Theft/break in
- Suspected or confirmed employee drug abuse or misuse
- Poorly maintained or the lack of required records
Additional Services
Are there areas that could benefit from support or improvement?
We offer the following Additional Services:
Compliance Consulting
If you’re not sure what you need or where to start, Simple Solutions offers remote consultation Services designed to get you on the right track, billed at an hourly rate.
Remediation
Remediation Services are surgical intervention, designed to “remediate” areas of controlled substance operations that require additional improvement beyond what is conducted during Assessment and/or Audit Services.
Controlled Substance Policies
& Procedures
After being properly educated and trained, individuals authorized to work with controlled substances need a “roadmap” to guide them. In addition to controlled substance company policies, standard operating procedures (“SOPs”) must be developed that focus specifically on controlled substance operations and oversight to ensure that processes are conducted consistently and accurately in accordance with DEA and state requirements. The SOPs that Simple Solutions develops are client-specific and customized to address the capacities in which a client conducts controlled substance (ex. ambulatory services, emergency services, etc.)
Transfer Services
Transfer Services focus on assisting clients with the transfer of controlled substances anytime there is a change in the DEA registrant ordering controlled substances on behalf of a facility following an acquisition, merger, retirement or other employment transitions. A DEA registrant’s controlled substance inventory is not automatically “rolled up” as part of sale or transition and must be conducted according to specific DEA requirements. Transfer Services ensure that any controlled substances remaining from an inventory of a DEA registrant that will no longer serve as the ordering registrant of record at a facility are properly “transferred” over to a new DEA registrant replacing them and that all required documentation and notifications are completed.
Security Services
Ensuring that physical security measures and access controls are in place to meet and/or exceed DEA-requirements for preventing drug diversion is integral to the success of your overall controlled substance compliance program. Simple Solutions’ security experts provide clients with assisting in evaluating existing security systems in operational facilities as well as designing security systems and access controls for new operations.
Disclaimers
Pricing for Services is based on various factors; including size, the type of services client offers, pre-existing issues, emergency services, etc. All pricing shall be provided in the form of a proposal customized to the needs expressed by client.
With every regulatory agency, local, state, or federal, there are documented guidelines under which agents for these organizations work. Much of what is written is subject to interpretation by the representatives when they are reviewing a practice or a registrant. The DEA’s guidelines are the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 21 Chapter II.
The information we share are suggested best practices that meet or exceed the guidelines as published. In most cases, we will provide the code from which the best practice was based. It is still up to the DEA registrant to understand the guidelines and implement them appropriately.
The best practices were determined by experience with agents in the field and how they enforce the guidelines.