| Authorized Personnel: Psychiatrist, PA, NP, Pharm.D., Pharmacy Technician, RN, LVN, and Psychiatric Technician
Clinic Stock Medications: Medications obtained through the DMH headquarters warehouse that are not client-specific
Cold Chain: Medication refrigeration procedure to maintain the required temperature of medications during transport from one destination to another
Non-Medical Personnel: Para-professionals, non-medical licensed staff, and other appointed personnel who may deliver to clients
Prescriptions: Medications dispensed by retail pharmacies for a specific client
Prescription Distribution: Handing or delivering medications dispensed by a pharmacy to a client
|
| General Practice of Clinic Stock Medication and Prescription Delivery - Do not shake.
- Do not expose clinic stock medications or prescriptions to temperatures outside of manufacturer recommendations or storage instructions provided by the pharmacist.
- Under no circumstances shall clinic stock medications or client’s prescriptions be in DMH Staff possession after work hours.
- Except during transport, all medications shall be stored in a secured medication room.
- Refrigerated clinic stock medications or prescriptions shall be packaged by pharmacy personnel to maintain cold chain during transport by authorized personnel from the DMH warehouse to the clinic's secured medication room.
Specific Practice for Delivery of Clinic Stock Medications - Clinic stock medications shall be transported or delivered by authorized personnel only.
- The chain of custody shall be documented at each step of the medication transfer.
- Clinic stock medications removed for directly observed administration shall bear all required labeling elements.
- Medications shall be left in their own unit dose packaging.
- The amount dispensed for client self-administration on weekends or holidays shall not exceed a 72-hour supply.
Specific Practice for Delivery of Prescriptions Dispensed by Retail Pharmacies - Prescriptions dispensed by retail pharmacies may be transported by authorized personnel or non-medical personnel to authorized personnel in DMH clinics for appropriate storage or immediate administration.
- Prescriptions that have left the dispensing pharmacy or delivery driver shall not be returned to the dispensing retail pharmacy.
- Clinic authorized personnel shall document in the inventory log upon receipt and act as client’s agent to immediately store their prescriptions appropriately on their behalf.
- Both clinic authorized personnel and non-medical personnel can act as the client’s agent and perform prescription distribution. These medications shall be distributed in their unaltered original pharmacy-dispensed packaging and labeling, including bubble packs, vials, or bottles.
- Re-packaging of the client’s own medications shall only be performed by a pharmacy or the client.
- Authorized personnel shall organize each client’s prescription without altering their original packaging and place each client’s prescription in a separate bag for non-medical personnel to perform daily prescription distribution for clients who need prescription distribution service.
- Prescriptions shall be deposited by authorized personnel in a DMH Pharmacy Chief approved and secured locked box outside of the medication room that is only accessible to authorized personnel and non-medical personnel.
- Distribution of the first dose of any new prescription to a client shall only be performed by authorized personnel and education shall be provided to the client by authorized personnel excluding pharmacy technicians during the first visit at the minimum. Additional education shall be provided in-person or virtually upon the client's request or when clinical necessities arise.
- Only authorized personnel excluding pharmacy technicians shall administer medications to clients. Non-medical personnel are not authorized to administer medications to clients.
- Non-medical personnel shall not open or tamper with medication packages.
- Non-medical personnel shall retrieve prescriptions for prescription distribution from the secured locked box only on delivery day and return all unsuccessful deliveries to the secured locked box before end of shift.
- Non-medical personnel shall document all prescription distribution status in the delivery log.
|
