Hospitals and health systems are under increasing pressure to address drug diversion—and for good reason. When medications are misappropriated, the consequences can be devastating: patient care suffers, staff safety is compromised, and organizations face serious legal, regulatory, and reputational fallout.
In response, many facilities have implemented drug diversion monitoring programs or invested in third-party solutions. But are these efforts actually working?
Too often, the answer is no.
Despite good intentions, many programs are built on outdated processes, underperforming software, or manual systems that leave dangerous gaps. As a result, diversion can go undetected for weeks—or even months—causing harm long before anyone realizes there’s a problem.
Whether you’re still relying on spreadsheets or using a platform that isn’t delivering results, here are five signs your drug diversion program might not be working as well as you think:
1. You’re Still Manually Reviewing Reports
If your staff spends hours each week sifting through reports, manually cross-referencing dispensing records with EMR documentation and time logs, that’s a clear red flag.
Manual processes not only slow investigations—they increase the risk of human error and make it harder to spot trends or anomalies. Whether you’re using spreadsheets or exporting PDFs from an existing system, it may be time to upgrade to a solution that can automate and analyze your data in real time.
2. Investigations Take Weeks—or Longer
When diversion is suspected, time is critical. If it takes days or even weeks to gather data, coordinate across departments, and identify discrepancies, your current process is putting your patients and staff at risk.
Delayed investigations are often the result of siloed systems, disconnected tools, and the need for manual intervention. A strong diversion program should speed up your timeline, not stall it.
3. Your System Doesn’t Integrate Key Data Sources
Are you having to manually pull data from your automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs), EMR, time and attendance, and other platforms to get the full story?
If your current system doesn’t connect these data sources—or claims to, but still leaves gaps—you’re not getting the comprehensive view you need to detect diversion early. Integration is key to accurate, proactive monitoring.
4. Clinicians Don’t Trust the Process
If the diversion program in place feels like a “gotcha” game, it’s likely eroding trust. Staff may be less willing to cooperate with investigations or report concerns if they don’t believe the process is objective and fair.
A successful program is rooted in transparency, data integrity, and clear protocols—not suspicion. Your software should support that culture, not undermine it.
5. You Haven’t Found a Diversion Case in Over a Year
We all want to believe that diversion isn’t happening—but statistically, that’s unlikely.
If your organization hasn’t detected a single case in over 12 months, it’s worth asking: is diversion really not happening, or is your current solution just not catching it? A lack of findings can actually indicate a lack of visibility.
Whether you’re using spreadsheets or a system that just isn’t delivering, there’s a smarter, faster way to monitor for diversion.
DetectRx from iatricSystems™ helps healthcare organizations strengthen their drug diversion efforts with modern technology that works with your existing systems—not around them.
By automatically integrating data from your ADC, EMR, time and attendance, and more, DetectRx helps uncover patterns, flag anomalies, and streamline investigations—so your team can focus on taking action, not chasing down data.