As Covid-19 overwhelmed hospitals, another deadly epidemic raged in the background. One that became exasperated by the hardships of Covid-19 and led to over 200,000 deaths in 2020 and 2021 combined: drug abuse.
Despite being on a steady decline since 2017, overdoses increased 30% from 2019 to 2020 and 15% from 2020 to 2021, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl responsible for most of those fatalities. These spiking numbers underscore another emergency that no hospital is immune from—drug diversion: the theft of medications intended for patients.
But as this crisis evolved, so did technology. Now, more hospitals are realizing the benefits of advanced computing and artificial intelligence, which may be critical in stopping drug diversion for good.
The Widespread Costs Of Drug Diversion
The drug diversion issue spans over two decades—in part due to the lack of concrete regulations from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). While the DEA expects hospitals to complete an audit and report known diversion cases, no proactive monitoring is required.
But the problem is far more severe than the lack of regulations makes it seem. In fact, 10% to 15% of healthcare providers in the U.S. will misuse drugs or alcohol throughout their careers. The harm caused only spirals from there: Patients are deprived of medication, clinicians under the influence can cause harm when treating patients, they may sell drugs to third parties and some cases even become fatal. Two nurses were found dead in a Texas hospital from a fentanyl overdose that was supposed to be administered to a patient. The hospital later faced a $4.5 million fine for lack of oversight.
Continue reading:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/09/08/combatting-drug-diversion-with-artificial-intelligence/?sh=e9f1f4d2193c
Despite being on a steady decline since 2017, overdoses increased 30% from 2019 to 2020 and 15% from 2020 to 2021, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl responsible for most of those fatalities. These spiking numbers underscore another emergency that no hospital is immune from—drug diversion: the theft of medications intended for patients.
But as this crisis evolved, so did technology. Now, more hospitals are realizing the benefits of advanced computing and artificial intelligence, which may be critical in stopping drug diversion for good.
The Widespread Costs Of Drug Diversion
The drug diversion issue spans over two decades—in part due to the lack of concrete regulations from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). While the DEA expects hospitals to complete an audit and report known diversion cases, no proactive monitoring is required.
But the problem is far more severe than the lack of regulations makes it seem. In fact, 10% to 15% of healthcare providers in the U.S. will misuse drugs or alcohol throughout their careers. The harm caused only spirals from there: Patients are deprived of medication, clinicians under the influence can cause harm when treating patients, they may sell drugs to third parties and some cases even become fatal. Two nurses were found dead in a Texas hospital from a fentanyl overdose that was supposed to be administered to a patient. The hospital later faced a $4.5 million fine for lack of oversight.
Continue reading:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/09/08/combatting-drug-diversion-with-artificial-intelligence/?sh=e9f1f4d2193c
