Hosts:
Matt Uhrich & Don Weinberger

🎯 Learning Objectives:

• Explain requirements for transferring controlled substances between pharmacies.
• Explain requirements for disposing of controlled substances.
• Summarize requirements for handling stolen or diverted controlled substances.
• Describe Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and their purpose. 

💊 Topics Covered:

• Transferring drug product vs transferring prescriptions; the 5% rule
• C‑II e‑Rx initial transfer vs paper non‑transferable; C‑III–V one‑time transfer (or more within shared systems)
• Disposal: reverse distributors, DEA Form 222 for C‑IIs, onsite destruction and DEA Form 41
• Diversion prevention: inventory practices, PDMP checks, and team vigilance
• Reporting theft/loss with DEA Form 106 and notifying authorities

🧠 Reflection Prompt:
What safeguards in your workflow help prevent diversion—and where could you add one more check?

📌 Key Takeaways:

• Differentiate stock transfers from prescription transfers; document and track thoroughly.
• Know when and how prescriptions can be transferred by schedule and system capabilities.
• Use reverse distributors or authorized destruction (Form 41) and 222 for C‑II movement.
• Report significant loss/theft within one business day using DEA Form 106; leverage PDMP where allowed.

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Hosts:
Matt Uhrich & Don Weinberger

🎯 Learning Objectives:

• Describe the inventory requirements for controlled substances.
• Summarize the recordkeeping requirements for controlled substances. 

💊 Topics Covered:

• Exact vs estimated counts (C‑IIs exact; C‑III–V estimated unless >1,000 units)
• Biennial inventory (federal) vs stricter state annual requirements
• Perpetual inventory for C‑IIs and digital vs paper logging
• Investigating discrepancies and involving the team
• Organizing records (separate C‑II; readily retrievable C‑III–V) and retention timelines

🧠 Reflection Prompt:
If a controlled‑substance count doesn’t match the log, what’s your step‑by‑step plan to resolve it before day’s end?

📌 Key Takeaways:

• Know your inventory cadence—federal vs state—and keep records for at least two years.
• Maintain perpetual inventory for C‑IIs to spot issues quickly.
• For C‑II records, keep separate; ensure C‑III–V are readily retrievable.
• Treat discrepancies as “all‑hands” issues—verify math, logs, and dispensing history.

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Hosts:
Matt Uhrich & Don Weinberger

🎯 Learning Objectives:

• Explain the following requirements for handling and dispensing controlled substance prescriptions 
  • Preparing and counting 
  • Partial fills 
  • Labeling 
  • Ordering and storing

💊 Topics Covered:

• Accuracy safeguards: double counting and back counting
• Partial‑fill rules by schedule (72‑hour rule for C‑IIs)
• Required caution statement on labels for C‑II–IV
• Ordering C‑IIs (DEA Form 222/CSOS) and record retention
• Storage options for C‑IIs (locked cabinet vs dispersed) and hospital ADM practices

🧠 Reflection Prompt:
Where are controlled substances stored in your pharmacy or facility, and how do those choices support security and workflow?

📌 Key Takeaways:

• Use double/back counts to prevent discrepancies before they start.
• C‑II partial fills must be completed within 72 hours, others within prescription validity.
• Order C‑IIs via DEA 222/CSOS and keep records at least two years.
• C‑IIs may be locked or dispersed; hospitals rely on vaults/ADMs and strict chain of custody.

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Hosts:
Matt Uhrich & Don Weinberger

🎯 Learning Objectives:

• Explain the requirements for valid controlled substance prescriptions.
• List the requirements for dispensing controlled substances.

💊 Topics Covered:

• Required elements on controlled-substance prescriptions (date, patient/prescriber info, DEA #, signature)
• Electronic prescribing identifiers vs handwritten signatures
• Transmission rules by schedule and rare emergency exceptions for C‑IIs
• Refill limits (C‑II: none; C‑III/IV: up to 5 within 6 months; C‑V: as authorized) and state variations
• Prescription validity/expiration timelines and common pitfalls

🧠 Reflection Prompt:
Looking at your last shift, did any prescriptions present red flags based on today’s “requirements, refills, and red flags” checklist?

📌 Key Takeaways:

• Validate all required fields before filling; missing signatures or DEA numbers invalidate written scripts.
• C‑IIs cannot be refilled; C‑III/IV refills are limited; C‑V varies—always check state law.
• Even e‑prescriptions require scrutiny; systems can’t catch every issue.
• When in doubt, pause and involve the pharmacist.

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Hosts:
Matt Uhrich & Don Weinberger

🎯 Learning Objectives:

• Identify which practitioners are allowed to write prescriptions for controlled substances.
• Explain the requirements for DEA numbers.
• Distinguish between a valid and invalid DEA number.

💊 Topics Covered:

• Who can prescribe controlled substances (physicians, dentists, vets, and mid‑level practitioners)
• DEA number format: two letters + seven digits; what the letters mean
• Manual and electronic DEA number verification; system limitations
• Red flags and when to involve the pharmacist
• State-level restrictions on what specific prescribers may write

🧠 Reflection Prompt:
If a controlled-substance prescription came in from a prescriber you don’t recognize, how would you verify the DEA number and what other red flags would you check?

📌 Key Takeaways:

• DEA numbers are required for Schedules II–V and follow a standard 9-character format.
• Use the checksum as a quick screen, but always escalate any concerns to the pharmacist.
• Pharmacy systems help but aren’t foolproof—licensure or scope limits may still block validity.
• Know your state’s rules for which practitioners can prescribe which schedules.

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Hosts:
Matt Uhrich & Don Weinberger

🎯 Learning Objectives:

• Identify the laws and regulations that govern the dispensing of controlled substances.
• Define each controlled schedule and common substances classified in each of the 5 schedules.

💊 Topics Covered:

• What makes a drug a “controlled substance”
• The role of the DEA in classification
• Overview of Schedules I–V
• Examples of medications in each schedule
• Why understanding schedules matters for pharmacy technicians

🧠 Reflection Prompt:
Have you ever noticed a “C-II” or “C-IV” on a medication label? What does that tell you about how it should be handled?

📌 Key Takeaways:

• Controlled substances are categorized into five schedules based on medical use and misuse potential.
• Schedule I drugs have no accepted medical use; Schedules II–V are used in pharmacy practice.
• The stricter the schedule, the tighter the regulations.
• Pharmacy technicians must understand these classifications to ensure safe handling and compliance.

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Hosts:
Matt Uhrich & Don Weinberger

🎯 Learning Objectives:

• Identify common types of medications used during surgical procedures, including anesthetics, pain medications, neuromuscular blockers, and vasoactive medications.
• Describe common medication errors that occur in operating rooms and strategies to prevent them, such as proper labeling, standardization of storage, and separation of high-alert medications.
• Explain proper procedures for handling and dispensing medications in perioperative environments, including appropriate garbing requirements and controlled substance management.

💊 Topics Covered:

• Common surgical/OR medication categories and handling basics
• Labeling standards and storage to avoid mix‑ups
• Communication practices with clinical teams (clarity, confirmation)
• Workflow vigilance in fast‑paced environments
• Examples of errors prevented through good process

🧠 Reflection Prompt:
If your pharmacy supports surgeries, what’s one labeling or handoff safeguard you could add today to reduce risk in the OR pipeline?

📌 Key Takeaways:

• Clear labels and secure storage reduce OR medication errors.
• Precise communication and confirmations prevent delays and mix‑ups.
• Technician vigilance is a frontline defense in surgical workflows.
• Standardized handoffs create reliability across teams and shifts.

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Hosts:
Matt Uhrich & Don Weinberger

🎯 Learning Objectives:

• Define quality measures and explain their importance in pharmacy practice and patient care.
• Identify key organizations that create quality measures and describe how these measures are used to evaluate healthcare quality.
• Describe specific ways pharmacy technicians can help positively impact quality measures.

💊 Topics Covered:

• What quality measures are and their purpose (improve care while reducing costs)
• Categories: outcomes, processes, patient experience
• Examples relevant to pharmacy (adherence, safety checks, counseling)
• How scores affect operations, payer relationships, and patient care
• Technician actions that move the metrics (workflow tips, documentation)

🧠 Reflection Prompt:
Which single technician action in your workflow most directly improves adherence or safety—and how could you standardize it across shifts?

📌 Key Takeaways:

• Quality measures benchmark care beyond speed or volume.
• Consistent documentation and counseling improve scores and patient outcomes.
• Technicians can drive adherence with reminder workflows and refill coordination.
• Measure awareness helps align daily tasks with bigger care goals.

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Hosts:
Matt Uhrich & Don Weinberger

🎯 Learning Objectives:

• Identify common medications that require reconstitution and explain why certain medications need to be stored in dry form.
• Describe the proper steps and best practices for reconstituting different types of medications (oral suspensions, vaccines, and injectable medications).
• Recognize potential risks of improper reconstitution and explain key strategies to prevent dispensing errors with medications requiring reconstitution.

💊 Topics Covered:

• Definition and purpose of reconstitution (powder → liquid; role of diluents)
• When and why meds are supplied dry (stability, shelf life)
• Stepwise mixing technique (measure accurately, add in stages, invert/shake)
• Measuring liquids correctly (meniscus, calibrated devices)
• Labeling and patient directions (beyond-use dating, storage, shake well)
• Setting differences: community vs hospital reconstitution workflows

🧠 Reflection Prompt:
Think about the last suspension you prepared: which step is most error‑prone for new techs—measurement, mixing, or labeling—and how do you mitigate it?

📌 Key Takeaways:

• Accuracy at each step prevents dosing errors and improves outcomes.
• Use the correct diluent and calibrated tools; read at the bottom of the meniscus.
• Document beyond‑use dates and storage; include ‘shake well’ on labels.
• Slow, staged mixing (with re‑checks) reduces clumping and rework.

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