PIEDMONT ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES, INC.
Policy Number: 01-07-003
SUBJECT: Handling PAP Drugs That Are Not Picked Up By The Original Patient
EFFECTIVE DATE: 08/27/2008
REVIEWED/REVISED: 02/17/2009, 04/02/2010, 10/01/2012, 03/27/2013
______Background: PATHS operates the MEDAssist Program whereby administrative support staff works to get medication directly from manufacturers through Patient Assistance Programs for indigent patients. This process is very time consuming in that it can take anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks (on average) for the first shipment of medication to arrive. When medication comes in, there are times when the patient for which it was intended has been changed to a different medication/strength, or that the patient simply chooses not to pick it up. In either instance, the result is a medication that can be re-dispensed to another patient that would meet the criteria established by the manufacturer that donated the drug.
Protocol:
1. Whenever a MEDAssist drug is not picked up from PATHS’ Community Pharmacy, pharmacy staff will make every effort to identify another patient in the MEDAssist program that is waiting on delivery of the medication. If successful, the Pharmacy staff will reprocess the drug for the new patient, and the patient will be notified that the drug is ready for pickup as usual. In the event that the drug is not able to be immediately reassigned, the bottle(s) will be logged on the “MEDAssist Return Sign In” log, and then directed to:
PATHS’ Community Medical Center
Attn: Liz Hagan, FNP
2. When Liz Hagan, or designee, receives the returned MEDAssist drugs, they will store the drugs in a secure space such that only appropriate staff will have access.
3. MEDAssist drugs are to only be handled by authorized personel. Specifically, those individuals are:
A. PATHS Community Medical Center –Danville: Liz Hagan, FNP and Melissa Hines, RN & Kathy Nuckles, LPN, Site Manager.
B. PATHS Community Medical Center – Martinsville: Amy Bowles, PA-C and Tisha McMillan
C. PATHS Community Medical Center – Chatham: ______and ______
D. PATHS Community Medical Center – Boydton: ______and ______
E. The Free Clinic of Danville: ______and ______
4. The following will outline the steps involved in DISPENSING THE DRUGS:
A. Only eligible patients will be able to receive the drugs. Specifically, these patients are to be actively receiving care from one of PATHS providers, have no form of prescription insurance coverage and have a household income of 150% of the FPL or less, which would require them to have a Slide assignment of either “A” or “B”.
B. Each drug bottle dispensed will be logged out in the “MEDAssist Return Sign Out” log which is to be kept in the same vicinity of the drug inventory.
C. Before dispensing, the prescriber is responsible for verifying that the entire quantity of the medication to be dispensed will be consumed according to prescription before the expiration date of the medication, which is printed by the manufacturer on the side of the bottle. For instance, it would be in appropriate to dispense a bottle of Neurontin 100mg #90 to a patient who only takes one pill per day if the dispense date is only 60 days from the expiration date on the bottle; However, it would be appropriate to dispense the same bottle to a patient who is prescribed to take two pills per day.
D. Each bottle will need to be labeled to include, at minimum:
i. The prescribers name;
ii. The patient’s name and date of birth; and
iii. Specific dosage and instruction.
E. It is never acceptable for any member of PATHS’ staff (providers included) to open a stock bottle of medication. The bottle must be dispensed in its entirety. Opening a bottle and only dispensing part of the bottle is in direct violation of laws and regulations established and enforced by the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Board of Pharmacy.
F. Any MEDAssist drugs dispensed should be documented in the patients chart under the appropriate assessment.
5. The following will outline the steps involved in TRANSFERING DRUGS TO OTHER SITES:
A. Routinely, but at least once per week, Liz Hagan, or her designee, will distribute portions of the inventory on hand at PATHS Community Medical Center Danville, to the sites listed below.
i. PATHS Community Medical Center – Martinsville;
ii. PATHS Community Medical Center – Chatham;
iii. PATHS Community Medical Center – Boydton; and
iv. Free Clinic of Danville.
B. Each drug transferred to another site should be logged out in the “MEDAssist Return Sign Out” log that is kept in Danville.
C. The sites accepting the drugs will be responsible for handling the drugs in accordance to the steps outlined in this protocol.
D. If a provider at a site other than Danville needs a drug which is available in the MEDAssist return inventory, the provider can either send a telephone encounter or call Liz Hagan (or designee) to arrange for the drug to be couriered to the appropriate site.
6. The following will outline the steps involved in MANAGING INVENTORY:
A. Routinely, but at least once per month, Liz Hagan, or designee, will complete an inventory process to remove all medication that has expired, or is due to expire within 30 days.
B. All expired medications, or medications that are set to expire, should be disposed of, in their entirety, in the medical supply waste boxes located in the Medical Center.
7. The following will outline the steps involved in AUDITING THIS PROTOCOL:
This protocol will be audited by PATHS Compliance Officer, or designee, on a routine and ongoing basis.
SIGNATURES:
______/ ____ / ______
Liz Hagan, FNP Date
______/ ____ / ______
MEDAssist Program Manager Date
______/ ____ / ______
Chief Medical Officer Date
______/ ____ / ______
Chief Operations Officer Date
______/ ____ / ______
Chief Executive Officer Date
01-07-003 Handling PAP Drugs That Are Not Picked Up By The Original Patient
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