Published: January 2026

As hospital-related drug diversions have recently made major headlines, many healthcare organizations are now reconsidering their controlled substance (CS) management policies and procedures.¹

CS diversion prevention programs focus on high-risk, high-volume patient care areas as well as the hospital pharmacy.²   While the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) established pharmacy-specific guidelines in 2022, significant gaps still remain within hospitals nationwide.¹

Download this article to learn about why it matters now and what leadership can do to promote better, safer practices.

¹ Bastow SS, Borrelli EP, Lucaci JD, Nelkin H, Graves A, Hays A. Insights from a national survey on controlled substance diversion practices in U.S. hospital pharmacies: opportunities for enhanced surveillance and compliance. Pharmacy (Basel).2024;12(6):183. doi:10.3390/pharmacy12060183

² Clark J, Fera T, Fortier C, et al. ASHP guidelines on preventing diversion of controlled substances. Am J Health Syst Pharm.2022;79(24):2279-2306. doi:10.1093/ajhp/zxac246