Is it considered compliant to have the 24/7 Hazardous Drug Information Hotline on every phone in lieu of having the Safety Data Sheets in the Pharmacy?
Safety Data Sheets in the Pharmacy
Paper copies of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) in a readily accessible binder are unnecessary if the online source can provide rapid response upon request. Surveyors will often test this process. If you use an online vendor they will conduct a hypothetical scenario such as a skin or eye splash with product X. The surveyor will look to see how long it takes to obtain the SDS so that appropriate first aid can be provided.
Having done this on consulting engagements many times, the findings in some organizations are surprising. For example,
- The service lapsed because they failed to pay the bill
- Many years prior they switched the service to another vendor, but the old number was still on the phone
- Response times exceeded 30 minutes
Bottom line, if you do use an outside vendor, make sure to monitor their performance.
Patton Healthcare Consulting
Whether it’s answering questions about Safety Data Sheets in the Pharmacy or questions about other Joint Commission and CMS standards, Patton Healthcare Consulting can help. We provide a complete range of Compliance Assistance services including pre-survey and post survey support.
We serve more than 350 hospitals, behavioral health care organizations, ambulatory clinics and home care companies nationwide—hospitals ranging from critical access hospitals to the largest health systems. Contact us at (888) PHC-INC1 for more information.
Leave a Reply