| General
The medication procurement process shall meet Los Angeles County standards with adequate separation of duties to perform the following actions: - Requisition approval
- Purchase order approval
- Shipment receipt
- Payment approval
Receipt
Pharmacy Services shall be responsible for the acquisition of pharmaceuticals for DMH directly operated clinics.
Chief of Pharmacy/designee shall be responsible for specification as to the quality, quantity, and source of supply of all medications used in DMH directly operated clinics.
Security
Pharmacy services shall store all medications in a secured, locked warehouse on DMH headquarter premises.
Access to the warehouse shall be limited to authorized personnel approved by the Chief of Pharmacy/designee. - Under no circumstances shall access cards be shared.
Storage
Medications shall be stored according to manufacturer recommendations. - Medications requiring room temperature shall be stored at temperatures between 59°F (15°C) and 86°F (30°C).
- Medications requiring refrigeration shall be stored in refrigerators between 36°F (2°C) and 46°F (8°C).
Inventory - Inventory shall be performed quarterly and records shall be stored for a minimum of three (3) years.
- Expiration dates shall be checked quarterly.
Medications Returned from Clinics
If conditions under which medications have been returned cast doubt upon the medications’ safety, identity, strength, quality, or purity, said medications shall be discarded in a pharmaceutical waste bin and documented in the log per DMH Policy 352.16 Pharmacy Reverse Distribution.
Reports of Loss or Theft
Upon discovery of loss or theft of non-controlled medications, the Chief of Pharmacy/designee shall be notified immediately and DMH Policy 605.03 shall be followed.
Training
New pharmacy personnel authorized to enter the warehouse shall review this policy annually.
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