Narcotics diversion is a serious problem in the US and the situation is similar in Canada. While it is difficult to measure the actual extent of the problem, I am interested to know how this problem is recognized and addressed at your facility. This is a very human problem, with economic and social costs. Unfortunately, it is often not recognized until the problem is out of control.

JCAHO standard MM.4.80 requires hospitals to have processes in place to address diversion prevention and account for all unused, expired, or returned medications. USP 797 requires that compounded products be tested for accuracy. Baxa has introduced an exciting new product for analyzing returned narcotics or compounded high-risk drugs, which can detect if both the drug and the concentration of a sample match what is expected.

The ValiMed™ Medication Validation System was developed to validate medications and concentration, offering a simple, real-time solution that is currently being used for narcotic control and for final product accuracy testing.

The ValiMed System’s UV light source energizes medication samples to produce a uniform and consistent pattern of fluorescent energy. This ‘signature’ can then be compared to the specific signature stored in the systems library. For instance, if an anesthetic return from the Operating Room cannot be validated, then there may be reason to suspect it has been diverted or substituted.

Keeping in line with our mission to provide innovative solutions that enable you to improve the safety and efficiency of your pharmacy operations, Baxa has obtained the exclusive rights to distribute the ValiMed System in the US and Canada.

The 9" x 10" x 21" ValiMed System can fit into your pharmacy processes and allow you to address problems such as narcotics diversion immediately. Each test takes only 30 to 60 seconds.

Call us for a demonstration of how the ValiMed System can fit into your facility’s compliance procedures. I think you’ll like what you see. In addition to detecting and preventing drug loss, the ValiMed System can prevent medication errors for batch and high-risk solutions.

For more information or to set up a demonstration of the ValiMed System, please call 800-567-BAXA (2292) or go to www.baxa.com/valimed. As always, I’d love to hear your feedback. Contact me directly at greg.baldwin@baxa.com.



Greg Baldwin, Chairman and CEO


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