Health systems have taken tremendous steps to support their patients and communities in the fight against the epidemic, but have often overlooked their own employees in the process. Health care workers are not immune to the effects of the opioid crisis, and some may turn to diversion. Staff may divert drugs to sustain a substance use disorder, sell medication for additional income, or obtain costly or difficult-to-access medications to treat themselves or family members.

Diversion by health system staff and clinicians places the health system, its employees, and patients at risk of serious harm. Possible consequences include: staff or patient deaths, patient infections resulting from drug tampering, financial penalties for inadequate oversight, and damage to the organization’s reputation. Despite the severity of these risks, most health systems have underinvested in diversion prevention and management.

Download this case study to see how Centura Health in Centennial, Colorado audited their system-wide policies on preventing drug diversion and prioritized improvement activities in human resources, medication management, and reporting.

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