Click through the Table of Contents to navigate this guide. 

Overview

The Controlled Substance report (log) allows for tracking of controlled substance inventory changes and disposition. The log is updated once the items are saved in the patient treatments.

Configuration & Setup

Inventory Items as Controlled Substances

Complete the following steps to configure an Inventory Item as a Controlled Substance.

• Go to Menu > Inventory > Inventory Management.
• Search for your inventory item and click Edit. See how to create a new inventory item here. 

1.  Vendor Drug Number: Enter the Controlled Substance National Drug Code (NDC) or Drug Identification Number (DIN). This number will appear in the Controlled Substance Report as the DIN.
2. Controlled Substance?: Click to enable the option. This will ensure the inventory item appears in the Controlled Substance Report.
3. Edit Details: Once enabled, select the appropriate Controlled Substance Schedule. Drug Schedules can be found at DEA.gov
4. Is Dispensable?: If a controlled substance may be dispensed as a prescription, click to enable the option. This will ensure that the item will generate a prescription number on the Controlled Substance Report.

Provider DEA License Information

When a provider’s name is associated with a controlled substance treatment, their details, including the National License Number, will appear on the Controlled Substance Report. Complete the following steps to have a Provider’s DEA license number populate on the Controlled Substance Report:

• Go to Menu > Settings > Employees.
• Click the edit pencil next to the provider’s name and open the General Information Section.
• Enter the provider’s DEA number in the National License Number field.

Recording Client Details for Controlled Substances

Pulse can securely store sensitive information such as client Driver's License Number, Date of Birth and/or Social Security Number to comply with your state controlled substance verification guidelines. This section is located under the Client Profile > General Information > Controlled Substance Verifications. Note: The ability to view this information is permission dependent. Additionally, the data in this field is encrypted. If data is exported, this information will never be shown.

• To enable this permission for an employee, go to Settings > Employees > Edit > Scroll down to Employee Rights > Miscellaneous > Can view sensitive data. 
• Scroll down to click Save.

You can also enable the system to prompt an alert during checkout, if the client's profile is missing a date of birth. 

• Go to Settings > Practice Setup > General. 
• Click Medical Record Settings to expand the list. 
• View the last option for Prompt for missing client DOB at checkout for controlled substances*.
• Scroll down to click Save.

Invoicing & Dispensing Controlled Substances

Pulse allows controlled drug waste to be recorded and reflected both in the patient's medical record and the Controlled Substance Report. Understanding how Pulse records and calculates waste is important to ensure proper documentation, invoicing, and reporting.

Recording Wastage

When adding a controlled substance to a patient’s treatments, the amount entered in the Quantity should reflect the full amount drawn up/removed from inventory. Amounts entered in the Quantity are reflected in the charges and the inventory on-hand. This will show as the Amount Used on the Controlled Substances Report.

If a portion of the amount removed is not used (wasted), this amount can be recorded in the Wastage field of the Treatment Details. The amount entered in Wastage will be subtracted from the Quantity (the amount used) to reflect the Amount Administered on the Controlled Substances Report.

Quantity (Amount Used) minus Wastage = Amount Administered

Example: A technician removed 2mL of Butorphanol for a patient, but only 1.5mL was administered. When entering the Butorphanol into the patient’s treatments, they will enter 2.0 in Quantity and 0.5 in the Wastage. This will reflect a total of 1.5mL administered in the Controlled Substance Report.

• Note: If you would like the amount administered to be displayed on printed medical records, it is important to enter this in as a Treatment Comment that will appear on the medical record.

Handling Returns and Reporting

If a return is made for a controlled substance, it will show on the report if you have selected the option to "return to inventory". If that option is not selected when the item is returned, it will not create a record of the returned substance, and the on-hand amount will remain the same.

Controlled Substance Reporting

Once your controlled substances are entered into inventory, and added to a treatment plan, you can begin reporting.

• Go to the Menu > Settings > Inventory > Controlled Substances.
• Choose the Report Type:
  • Disposition report that shows client transactions.
  • Inventory report shows inventory changes.
  • Combination report that shows both. This option is best used when looking into discrepancies.
• Choose the Start and End Date. The report runs off the Service Date of the item. 
• You can choose to report based on a particular substance, employee, patient, or leave it blank for all.
• Click Generate.
• Once completed, choose to export the report to Excel® or as a PDF. Note: The report run is not stored, and you must generate the report again if not exported. 

Exporting Your Report

When exporting the report to a .xls format, more fields will appear. Below are the definitions of fields available in the exported report: