Becker's Hospital Review

77 FINANCE CMO / CARE DELIVERY Georgia health system to pay $4.1M settlement over thousands of unaccounted opioids By Megan Knowles S pringfield, Ga.-based Effingham Health System has agreed to pay $4.1 million to resolve allegations that it failed to provide procedures to protect against the and loss of controlled substances, leading to opioid diversion, according to a statement re- leased from the health system May 16. e health system also allegedly failed to report the suspected diversion to the Drug Enforcement Administration in a timely manner. It is the country's largest penalty set- tlement of its kind, according to WTOC-TV. e DEA began investigating Effingham Health System in 2017 aer receiving reports of diversion. "DEA determined that tens of thousands of oxycodone 30 mg tablets were unaccounted for and were believed to have been diverted over more than a four-year period, in viola- tion of the hospital's responsibilities under the Controlled Substances Act," a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office obtained by WTOC-TV stated. "DEA also determined that Effingham Health System failed to notify DEA of the suspected diversion within the time required by federal law," the statement reads. Effingham's statement said the health system "cooperated with the DEA's investigation and, prior to this investigation, overhauled its pharmacy operations to help ensure that it will avoid diversions in the future." e statement said Effingham cooperated with DEA and the U.S. Attorney's Office to develop a plan to address the deficiencies in how the health system handled controlled substances. e components of the plan include quarterly internal accountability audits and require- ments to keep detailed records that track all controlled substances within the hospital, ac- cording to the statement. "We appreciate the cooperative nature of the U.S. Attorney's Office and DEA, for recogniz- ing the efforts put forth since 2016 to improve pharmacy operations," said Fran Baker-Witt, RN, CEO of Effingham Health System. "We were dismayed to find, through this investiga- tion, vulnerabilities in our prior record-keep- ing and reporting systems." "is settlement is not an admission of lia- bility, but in the spirit of cooperation, it has allowed us to avoid extensive legal expenses and costs related to an ongoing investigation," the statement reads. "It assures that an ongo- ing investigation will not interrupt, or com- promise, the care we provide our patients." Over the last two years, the health system has been transforming protocols, including hiring new pharmacy leadership and imple- menting electronic inventory systems that protect order integrity, track inventory and dispense medications. n 9 in 10 physicians feel unable to address chronic care patients' needs, study finds By Megan Knowles M ost primary care physicians said they do not have the necessary time or tools to address the needs of patients with multiple chronic conditions — leaving those patients to face health-related social and be- havioral issues alone, according to research conducted by Quest Diagnostics. The study gathered data from 801 respondents, including primary care physicians with Medicare patients diagnosed with multiple chronic conditions, and adults ages 65 and above with multiple chronic conditions. Respondents an- swered online surveys about their perceptions and experi- ences with chronic care and the care services used to man- age chronic conditions. Here are six report findings: 1. Nearly all physicians (95 percent) said they entered primary care as a way to care for the "whole patient." However, the vast majority (85 percent) said they lack proper time to address complex clinical issues, and 66 percent said they lack the time to address social and behavioral issues, including loneliness or financial concerns that may affect patients' health. 2. Only 9 percent of physicians reported feeling very satis- fied that their Medicare patients with multiple chronic con- ditions are receiving all the attention they need to care for their medical issues. 3. Although physicians expressed concern about gaps in care services, 92 percent of patients reported feeling satisfied that they are getting all the attention they need from their primary care physician to manage multiple medical issues. 4. The findings suggest patients may not recognize or com- municate all of the health-related issues that may affect their care. Patients cited "getting another medical condi- tion" (43 percent) as their No. 1 concern, followed by "be- ing a burden on my loved ones" (32 percent). However, 2 in 5 patients say they do not talk with their physician about loneliness, isolation or transportation barriers. 5. The majority of physicians (88 percent) said they are con- cerned patients with multiple chronic conditions are not taking medications as prescribed. 6. Twenty-three percent of patients said they have forgot- ten to take some of their medications or have taken the incorrect medication — but only 8 percent of patients re- ported medication adherence as a concern. n

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