Drug diversion in healthcare is a crisis in the United States contributing to alarming statistics of substance abuse.  The opioid epidemic is so severe in the U.S. that drug overdoses are now one of the most common causes of death for people under the age of 50.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, nearly 64,000 people died in 2016 due to drug overdose which was an increase of 22% over 2015. The majority of overdose deaths are caused by opioid drugs such as Vicodin and OxyContin and synthetic opioids by heroin and fentanyl.

Drug diversion occurs under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act of 1994 when a controlled substance is transferred from a lawful to an unlawful channel of distribution or use. Controlled substances end up in the wrong hands and are distributed in any way other than the intended use by the legal prescriber constitutes drug diversion. Healthcare workers are at an extremely elevated risk for drug diversion, it is up to the facility and DEA registrant to provide highly controlled policies and procedures to monitor controlled substances, to witness controlled substance waste disposal and to report any theft or loss of controlled substances immediately.

Drug diversion of controlled substances in hospitals seriously jeopardizes patient safety with many cases of reported patient infection due to drug diversion of healthcare workers. For example, in 2018 two patients were discovered to have been infected with hepatitis C virus from a nurse who was infected and was diverting drugs from the hospital.  Maintaining a strict pharmaceutical waste management and disposal program will help to prevent drug diversion from occurring.

C2R Global Manufacturing, Inc. Is Committed to Preventing Drug Diversion

C2R Global Manufacturing, Inc. is committed to preventing drug diversion in healthcare, with a wide selection of convenient products for drug disposal and turnkey solutions for pharmaceutical waste management. Our pharmaceutical waste disposal containers quickly neutralize medications with chemical digestion, meeting DEA regulations. We offer mail back programs, waste haulers and DEA compliance consultation.

C2R Global Manufacturing, Inc. is dedicated to saving water and saving lives, one prescription at a time. Incorporating Rx Destroyer™ products as part of your pharmaceutical waste management plan helps to prevent drug diversion, environmental contamination and keep facilities compliant to federal regulations. Contact us with any questions and to learn more about preventing drug diversion in healthcare.