Drug Diversion Insights with Terri Vidals

Terri Vidals
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Daily

For everyone in the healthcare industry looking to reduce substance abuse and drug diversion. The host, Terri Vidals, is a pharmacist with over 30 years of experience; fifteen of those years in medication safety and drug diversion prevention and monitoring. Listen to an interview each week with a healthcare professional involved in diversion detection. Learn about how to leverage artificial intelligence to detect diversion and get exposure to products or services designed to facilitate diversion detection.

  1. 6d ago

    Borrow, Don't Build: A National Peer Support Toolkit for Healthcare Organizations

    How can healthcare organizations better support professionals in recovery—and help them seek assistance before substance use disorder impacts their lives, patients, or careers? In this episode of Drug Diversion Insights, Terri is joined by Kristin Waite-Labott and Dr. April Lenzmeier to discuss a powerful new resource designed to help healthcare organizations establish and strengthen peer support and recovery programs. Kristin, who previously shared her own recovery journey on the podcast, co-chaired the IHFDA committee responsible for developing the Peer Support & Recovery Toolkit. Together with Dr. Lenzmeier, co-founder of the National Association of Peer Support for Nurses (NAPSN), they discuss how organizations can leverage existing best practices instead of building programs from scratch. In this episode, we explore: • Why peer support is a critical component of recovery• The importance of reaching healthcare professionals before a crisis occurs• How organizations can create recovery-friendly cultures• The value of lived experience in supporting colleagues• Common barriers to implementing peer support programs• How NAPSN is helping expand peer support resources nationwide• Practical ways healthcare organizations can use the toolkit to strengthen their programs Download the IHFDA Peer Support & Recovery Toolkit Whether you're a healthcare leader, diversion specialist, nurse leader, pharmacist, compliance professional, or someone passionate about workforce wellbeing, this episode offers practical guidance for building systems that support recovery while protecting patients. Sometimes the best solution isn't to build something new—it's to borrow what's already working. More from Rxpert Solutions

    39 min

  2. Jun 3

    The Diversion Blind Spot Nobody Is Auditing

    Most diversion analytics platforms are built to monitor controlled substance activity. That's where the regulatory focus is, and that's where most dashboards direct attention. But what if an important diversion risk is hiding in a place few people review? In this Quick Take on Diversion Insights, Terri explores the often-overlooked world of cancel transactions and why they can represent a significant blind spot in diversion monitoring programs. This episode covers: • Why cancel transactions frequently go unreviewed• How non-controlled substance activity can be linked to diversion schemes• The risk of returning tampered medications to inventory• How non-controlled substances may be substituted for controlled substances• Why bedside clinical observations may not identify these events quickly• The importance of reviewing raw transaction logs, not just dashboard alerts• A real-world case where the warning signs were present in the data but initially overlooked For diversion specialists, pharmacists, compliance professionals, medication safety teams, and healthcare leaders, this episode highlights an area that deserves greater attention in audit and monitoring strategies. Sometimes the most important clues aren't hidden—they're simply sitting in data that no one is reviewing. More from Rxpert Solutions: https://www.rxpert.solutions/

    7 min

  3. May 27

    Saving a Million Lives: Dr. Paul Lynch on Rethinking Chronic Pain and Addiction

    What if the most effective way to fight the addiction crisis starts long before overdose—at the point of the very first prescription? In this episode of Drug Diversion Insights, Terri sits down with Dr. Paul Lynch, anesthesiologist, co-founder and CEO of US Pain Care, and founder of the Treat ’Em When You Meet ’Em Foundation, to discuss a different approach to chronic pain and addiction prevention. Dr. Lynch shares why chronic pain requires more than prescriptions alone and explains how holistic, patient-centered care can reduce unnecessary opioid exposure while improving long-term outcomes. In this conversation, we explore: • Dr. Lynch’s journey from anesthesiology into pain management• The three-pronged model used at US Pain Care: Conservative careMental health integrationSubstance use treatmentThis episode offers a thoughtful and hopeful perspective on the opioid crisis, emphasizing prevention, whole-person care, and earlier intervention before patients reach a crisis point. Whether you’re a clinician, patient, family member, or healthcare leader, this conversation challenges conventional thinking around chronic pain and addiction treatment. More from Rxpert Solutions

    47 min

  4. May 20

    Caught in the Crossfire: When Trusted Colleagues Divert

    What happens when the person diverting drugs in the OR is someone you trust completely—a colleague, a mentor, a friend standing right beside you at the table? In this episode of Drug Diversion Insights, Terri sits down with Carol Davis, CRNA Emeritus, to discuss the real-world impact of diversion from the perspective of someone who lived through it firsthand. Carol never diverted herself, but she found herself questioned, scrutinized, and caught in the fallout of colleagues whose substance use disorders led to dangerous decisions, broken trust, and risks to patient safety. This conversation explores:• What diversion actually looks like inside the OR• How warning signs are often missed• The emotional and professional impact on innocent coworkers• The vulnerabilities that exist in healthcare systems• Why substance use disorder can remain hidden even among trusted professionals• The importance of collaboration between anesthesia and pharmacy teams Carol also shares a strong call to action: meaningful diversion prevention depends on intentional collaboration, communication, and shared accountability across healthcare teams. This episode is essential for anesthesia professionals, pharmacists, diversion specialists, healthcare leaders, and anyone committed to improving medication safety and patient protection. More from Rxpert Solutions https://www.rxpert.solutions/

    39 min

  5. May 6

    Your Greatest Asset: How to Make Staff Your Eyes and Ears in Diversion Prevention

    The most sophisticated diversion monitoring tools are only as effective as the culture surrounding them. In this Diversion Insights Quick Take, we explore why staff engagement is one of the most important—and most overlooked—components of diversion prevention. When healthcare professionals view diversion mitigation as a program designed to protect patients and support colleagues, rather than simply punish people, they become far more likely to speak up early and participate in prevention efforts. This episode discusses: • Why culture matters more than surveillance alone• How fear and stigma prevent early reporting• The importance of psychological safety in healthcare• Why early identification of substance use disorder benefits everyone• How supportive programs strengthen accountability and trust• Practical ways to build staff engagement in diversion prevention Whether you’re a nurse, pharmacist, diversion specialist, or healthcare leader, this conversation offers practical insight into creating a safer, more supportive environment for both patients and staff. More from Rxpert Solutions:https://www.rxpert.solutions/

    6 min

  6. Apr 22

    From Deception to Recovery: Why Healthcare Needs a Culture of Self-Reporting

    What happens when addiction is hidden within a high-trust profession? In this episode of Drug Diversion Insights, pharmacist Steve Leuck shares his personal journey through cocaine and opioid addiction while continuing to practice in healthcare. For years, he navigated systems designed to protect patients—while quietly struggling behind the scenes. This conversation offers an honest look at how substance use can remain hidden, even in environments built on accountability and safety. We explore: • What fueled addiction behind the scenes• How warning signs can be missed in healthcare settings• The challenges of living a double life in a trusted role• The intervention that led to recovery• Why stigma often prevents early self-reporting• What it takes to build a culture where professionals feel safe asking for help This episode goes beyond one individual story. It highlights a broader issue in healthcare: prevention doesn’t start with detection—it starts with creating an environment where people can come forward safely. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, leader, or someone interested in recovery and patient safety, this is a conversation that challenges how we think about accountability, support, and culture. More from Rxpert Solutions: https://www.rxpert.solutions/

    53 min

  7. Apr 15

    No Software? No Problem—Conducting Effective Audits

    You don’t need expensive surveillance software to start identifying diversion risk. In this Diversion Insights Quick Take, we explore how manual auditing using ADM data can be a practical and effective way to detect early warning signs—without relying on advanced technology. This episode focuses on simple, actionable strategies that any organization can implement to strengthen accountability and improve oversight. In this discussion, we cover: • How to select meaningful audit targets using existing ADM data• Why comparing “like nurses with like nurses” reveals important patterns• Identifying outliers in dispensing and waste activity• Why cancel transactions—especially on non-controlled medications—can be key red flags• Practical steps to begin or refine manual audit processes today Manual audits may not be complex, but when done consistently and thoughtfully, they can uncover risks that might otherwise go unnoticed. Whether you’re building a diversion monitoring program or enhancing your current approach, this episode shows how to take meaningful action—without waiting for perfect tools. More from Rxpert Solutions: https://www.rxpert.solutions/

    6 min

  8. Apr 8

    42 to Near Zero: A QI Approach to Anesthesia Drug Discrepancies

    Are anesthesia discrepancies just documentation issues—or signals of deeper risk? In this episode of Drug Diversion Insights, Terri sits down with Dr. Jenny Dolan, Division Chief of Pediatric Anesthesia and Director of Trauma Anesthesia at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, to discuss how her team challenged the status quo—and achieved measurable change. Starting with 42 discrepancies per month and a 3% error rate, Dr. Dolan led a multi-year quality improvement (QI) initiative that addressed common gaps such as undocumented waste and medication removals without administration—issues that can obscure true diversion risk. In this conversation, we explore: • The most common drivers of anesthesia discrepancies• Why accepting discrepancies as “normal” creates risk• The seven phased interventions that led to sustained improvement• How Theory of Change guided their approach• Strategies to gain buy-in across anesthesia, pharmacy, and informatics• What meaningful, lasting change looks like in practice This episode offers a practical roadmap for healthcare teams looking to strengthen controlled substance accountability, reduce discrepancies, and improve diversion monitoring in anesthesia settings. More from Rxpert Solutions https://www.rxpert.solutions/

    34 min
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About

For everyone in the healthcare industry looking to reduce substance abuse and drug diversion. The host, Terri Vidals, is a pharmacist with over 30 years of experience; fifteen of those years in medication safety and drug diversion prevention and monitoring. Listen to an interview each week with a healthcare professional involved in diversion detection. Learn about how to leverage artificial intelligence to detect diversion and get exposure to products or services designed to facilitate diversion detection.

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