LOS ANGELES COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH
  Policy 352.18 Prescription Pad Storage
 
  PROCEDURES
  1. Prescription Pad Storage
     
    1. The supervising psychiatrist/designee shall manage and secure inventory of general blank prescription pads under lock and key at all times. Access to the locked drawer shall be limited to the supervising psychiatrist/designee only. Prescription pads shall not be left in lab coat pockets, on desktops/countertops, or in unlocked drawers.
       
    2. Each individual prescriber shall store and secure all prescriber-specific prescription pads.
       
    3. The supervising psychiatrist/designee shall distribute a general, blank prescription pad to individual prescribers as needed and record all incoming and distributed pads on the Blank Prescription Pad Inventory and Blank California Security Form Inventory Logs.
       
  2. Reporting Lost or Stolen Prescription Pads
     
    1. Upon suspecting or discovering lost or stolen prescription pads, the prescriber shall notify the Chief of Pharmacy or designee, Supervising Psychiatrist, and Program Manager.
       
    2. The prescriber shall then follow the Reporting Requirements for Lost or Stolen Prescription Pads as outlined by the Medical Board of California and take the following steps immediately:
       
      1. First, the theft or loss shall be reported to the local law enforcement (police or sheriff’s department). A prescriber shall make an incident report with law enforcement in order to be protected. The prescriber shall then have proof that prescriptions written on that pad after the date the theft was reported were not written by the prescriber. The prescriber will need a law enforcement agency report number to proceed to the next step.
         
      2. Second, pursuant to Health and Safety Code § 11165.3, the theft or loss of any tamper-resistant prescription forms shall be reported by the prescriber to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES) program no later than three (3) days after the discovery of the theft or loss. A law enforcement agency report number is required when submitting a report of lost or stolen prescription forms to CURES. This notification may be accomplished in one of the following ways:
         
        1. Electronically by logging into the prescriber’s CURES account; or
        2. Email SecurityPrinter@doj.ca.gov to obtain a report to file with the DOJ and mail to: 

          CURES Program 
          P.O. Box 160447
          Sacramento, CA 95816

          If there are additional questions or concerns regarding lost or stolen tamper-resistant prescription forms, please contact the CURES Program at (916) 210-3216 or email the Security Prescription Printer Program.
           
      3. Next, the prescriber shall notify the California State Board of Pharmacy at BOPcomplaint@dca.ca.gov. The Board of Pharmacy has a webpage listing prescribers whose prescription pads have been reported stolen (http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/licensees/stolen_fraudulent_rx_forms.shtml). The webpage is available 24/7 to pharmacists, law enforcement, and the public.
         
      4. Physicians shall notify the Medical Board of suspected loss or theft of prescription pads.