AHCA Submits Comments to DEA on Controlled Substances

VHCA (09/3/10)

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) submitted comments on August 30th in response to the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA's) solicitation in the Federal Register requesting information on the dispensing of controlled substances in long term care facilities.  DEA's request included 56 questions about administering, ordering and storing controlled substances in the long term care setting.  AHCA's comments, along with supplemental materials, should increase the DEA’s understanding of nursing facility clinicians’ roles related to controlled substances and the processes and equipment that facilities have in place to ensure drug safety.

Because the DEA may not fully appreciate the complexities of care offered in today’s skilled nursing facilities, AHCA provided detailed information on the patient population served, the comprehensive federal oversight regulations under which facilities operate, and the necessity for the long term care nurse to be recognized as an agent of the prescriber. To view AHCA's response to the DEA, click here.