The 4 P's of controlled substance compliance: people, processes, paperwork, and products

At the 2024 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Long Beach, California, Kelley Detweiler and Peter Weinstein gave 4 lectures on controlled substance compliance for veterinary practices. In a pre-conference interview with dvm360, the pair shared how focusing on "the 4 P's"—people, processes, paperwork, and products—practices can have a simplified framework for remaining compliant and avoiding DEA violations.

Transcript:

Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA: Kelly and I were talking about veterinary practices and the different components of them when it comes down to controlled substance compliance, and it just felt natural to talk about people and processes and paperwork and then the products, because that's really it—it wraps around the veterinary practice. So really, the fifth P is practice, and people, products, processes, and paperwork are what you need to be in control of to remain compliant.

We take each of those areas and dive into them to help you understand what you need to do: to have your people under control, to have your products under control, to understand what products you need to be concerned about, and to recognize that paperwork will either cover your assets or kick your assets.

When it comes down to processes—and I'm a big process guy—if you learn how to do things the same way each time, every time, all the time, you can prevent problems (if you want to keep with the alliteration). From that standpoint, yep.

Kelley Detweiler: And I'll say that one of the key elements, keeping with the alliteration, is how Dr. Weinstein instills this concept of the Four P's. It's a perfect breakdown for replication and driving home the 4 P’s. We're just constantly trying to drive it in a memorable way, keeping it simple.