First Drug Diversion Symposium Draws 120

By Ozioma Olowu, Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer

The National Institutes of Health report that 10 percent of healthcare workers divert medications. Further, 79 percent of healthcare workers surveyed agree that drug diversion often goes undetected, and 78 percent know or have known a diverter. Cook Children’s is not immune to these disturbing trends. We held our first-ever Drug Diversion Symposium on Friday, October 18. More than 120 staff and leaders gathered to learn from those directly impacted by drug diversion. We learned from the perspective of a provider, an auditor/investigator, and a patient.

The overwhelmingly positive feedback shared by those in attendance solidified the need for increased vigilance and awareness about this important topic. This symposium was a step in an ongoing journey. We will continue to collaborate with our peers to improve our prevention and detection program here at Cook Children’s.

The system recently hired its first Drug Diversion Program Manager Hope Whitfield, RN. The System Diversion Committee will continue its work to improve processes, advocate for better technology, and provide more education to support staff.

Thank you to all who attended and helped make this symposium a success. If you did not have the availability to attend, you can access the recording of the presentation and obtain continuing education (CE) credit by completing an evaluation before Nov. 8.

Feedback on the first Drug Diversion Symposium

“I wish every staff member could be here for this symposium.”

From a leader: “I have gotten many messages from staff about how impactful this symposium was for them.”

“This is such an important topic, and how emotional it can be is the realness we all needed.”

“For me personally, this symposium increased the empathy I have for those who find themselves feeling like they have no other option than to divert medications. My hope is that we become a safe place to proactively ask for help early without judgment to prevent the downstream effects of diversion before it starts. That culture shift starts with each and every one of us.”