Drug diversion software can help identify risk, analyze patterns, and prioritize potential concerns—but technology alone doesn't create an effective diversion prevention program. In this episode of Drug Diversion Insights, Gordon Watkins of Wolters Kluwer joins us to explore what actually makes a drug diversion program work and why people, process, and technology all need to be part of the strategy. Drug diversion often receives significant attention after a case is discovered. The harder challenge is building the systems, processes, and organizational culture needed to identify potential problems earlier. Gordon discusses what separates a comprehensive diversion program from one that simply exists on paper—and why purchasing sophisticated diversion software doesn't eliminate the need for experienced professionals to manage the program. In this episode, we discuss: Why diversion software cannot operate effectively on its ownThe importance of people, process, and technology working togetherWhat can happen when organizations implement software and then reduce diversion program staffingHow technology can help identify activity that warrants further investigationWhy every alert still requires appropriate review and follow-upHow organizations can govern their diversion technologyHow to confirm alerts are actually being workedWhat organizations should expect during the first month of implementation versus a mature programWhy data quality is critical to effective diversion analyticsHow incomplete or inconsistent data feeds can affect monitoringWhat diversion technology needs from the organization to perform effectivelyMachine learning versus generative artificial intelligenceHow Sentri7 uses machine learning in drug diversion monitoringWhy human judgment remains essential even as analytics become more sophisticatedWhat diversion program leaders should continually re-examine as their programs evolveWe also address an increasingly important topic in healthcare technology: machine learning and artificial intelligence. Gordon explains the distinction between the machine learning used within Sentri7 and the generative AI technologies that have become widely discussed in recent years. Understanding that difference can help healthcare leaders better evaluate what their diversion technology is actually doing—and what it still requires from the people using it. Another major theme is governance. Generating an alert is only the beginning. Someone still needs to review the information, understand the clinical and operational context, determine whether additional investigation is necessary, document the outcome, and ensure potential concerns don't disappear into a queue. The same applies to data. Even sophisticated analytics depend on the quality and completeness of the information being provided. Ultimately, this conversation reinforces an important principle for healthcare organizations: Buying diversion software is not the same as building a diversion program. Technology can make monitoring and investigations more efficient, but effective diversion prevention still depends on trained people, defined processes, reliable data, appropriate governance, and organizational support. Whether your organization already uses diversion monitoring software—from Wolters Kluwer or another vendor—or is evaluating whether to implement it, this episode offers practical questions to bring back to your diversion team. An important conversation for drug diversion specialists, pharmacists, pharmacy leaders, medication safety professionals, compliance teams, nursing leaders, risk management professionals, healthcare executives, controlled substance committees, and healthcare technology leaders responsible for strengthening medication oversight and protecting patients. More from Rxpert Solutions
