Whistleblower Disclosure Prompts VA to Ensure Medication is Properly Handled During Transit to Patients
July 11, 2019
OSC today alerted the President and Congress that a VA medical center in Philadelphia failed to ensure that medications were stored at temperatures during transit to home-based patients.
The U.S Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today alerted the President and Congress that a U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, failed to ensure that medications were stored at appropriate temperatures during transit to home-based patients.
A whistleblower disclosed the problem to OSC, which then referred the allegation to the VA for investigation. The VA substantiated the whistleblower’s allegation, finding that the Philadelphia medical center failed to comply with a VA directive requiring the development of local policies to ensure that medications are stored at appropriate temperatures during transit. Moreover, the report found that nationwide, nearly 40 percent of the VA facilities surveyed were noncompliant with the VA directive.
The report recommended that the Philadelphia medical center establish the local policies, conduct a competency assessment for the transportation of temperature-sensitive medications, and train staff members on the requirements. In response to the report, the Philadelphia VA medical center has already fully implemented the recommendations. With respect to the nationwide problem, the VA is providing assistance to noncompliant facilities to develop the required local policies, will take steps to ensure proper training, and will monitor compliance.
“Veterans who rely on the VA to home-deliver medication should be confident their medicine’s effectiveness has not been compromised through improper handling” said Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner. “Because a whistleblower spoke up, the VA has developed new guidelines and training, and purchased transport coolers and thermometers to ensure veterans’ medicine is kept at appropriate temperatures.”