How Well Do You Know Medication Management in Athletic Training?

Legal Aspects of Medication Management in Athletic Training

• Prescription drugs require a medical prescription to be dispensed, while over-the-counter drugs can be obtained without a prescription.

• Substance control is important due to the potential for misuse, from drug abuse to practicing medicine without a license and without sufficient education.

• Different jurisdictions have different definitions of what constitutes a prescription drug.

• Various healthcare providers (HCPs) have different levels of prescriptive authority, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, podiatrists, optometrists, dentists, clinical psychologists, and chiropractors.

• All prescribers must be appropriately licensed, certified, or registered, and must follow state and federal laws regarding administering and dispensing medications.

• The sports medicine team may include ATs, physicians, pharmacists, physical therapists, nurses, physician assistants, chiropractors, and athletic training students, who may manage different medications within their scope of practice.

• ATs cannot legally dispense prescription medications, but may be permitted to administer OTC medications and certain emergency prescription drugs under certain conditions.

• ATs must understand federal and state laws regarding medication administration, dispensation, and storage, and follow proper protocols for storing, packaging, transporting, tracking, administering, and dispensing both OTC and prescription medications.

• Athletic training students should not be involved in the conveyance of OTC medication to a patient.

• The sports medicine team must be aware of federal and state regulations regarding the administration and dispensation of drugs or medications, as well as the regulations specific to each profession.

• The FDA regulates the safety, efficacy, and security of drugs, including appropriate labeling, and has no jurisdiction over supplements.

• Drug regulation in the United States reflects several health events that precipitated major shifts in public opinion, including the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (1938) and serious adverse effects attributed to thalidomide.Legal Aspects of Medication Management: Drug Legislation, Drug Schedules, and Traveling with Prescription Medications

• Thalidomide caused a rare birth defect (phocomelia) in an estimated 10,000 children due to maternal exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy.

• Thalidomide's teratogenic effects led to the Kefauver-Harris Amendment of 1962, requiring more extensive testing of new drugs for teratogenic effects.

• Thalidomide is now approved by the FDA for limited use as an immunoregulatory agent and to treat certain forms of leprosy.

• Drug legislation in the United States underwent major revisions with the enactment of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1971.

• The CSA requires registration with the Attorney General for anyone who manufactures, dispenses, prescribes, or administers any controlled substance.

• The CSA places all substances regulated under existing federal law into one of five schedules based on potential for abuse, accepted medical use, and safety or dependence liability.

• Heroin is a Schedule I drug, while cocaine is a Schedule II drug due to its potential use as a local anesthetic.

• Drugs, substances, and chemicals used to make drugs are classified into five schedules based on acceptable medical use and potential for abuse or dependency.

• Schedule I drugs have no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, while Schedule V drugs have the least potential for abuse.

• Non-controlled substances are prescription medications with less risk of abuse or addiction that have a medical purpose.

• Physicians, ATs, and other HCPs must comply with all relevant laws regarding possessing and dispensing drugs, including controlled substances.

• When traveling outside of their state of licensure, prescribers must ensure they are properly handling and dispensing medications according to legislation for the state they are visiting.

Legal Aspects of Medication Management in Athletic Training

• Prescription drugs require a medical prescription to be dispensed, while over-the-counter drugs can be obtained without a prescription.

• Substance control is important due to the potential for misuse, from drug abuse to practicing medicine without a license and without sufficient education.

• Different jurisdictions have different definitions of what constitutes a prescription drug.

• Various healthcare providers (HCPs) have different levels of prescriptive authority, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, podiatrists, optometrists, dentists, clinical psychologists, and chiropractors.

• All prescribers must be appropriately licensed, certified, or registered, and must follow state and federal laws regarding administering and dispensing medications.

• The sports medicine team may include ATs, physicians, pharmacists, physical therapists, nurses, physician assistants, chiropractors, and athletic training students, who may manage different medications within their scope of practice.

• ATs cannot legally dispense prescription medications, but may be permitted to administer OTC medications and certain emergency prescription drugs under certain conditions.

• ATs must understand federal and state laws regarding medication administration, dispensation, and storage, and follow proper protocols for storing, packaging, transporting, tracking, administering, and dispensing both OTC and prescription medications.

• Athletic training students should not be involved in the conveyance of OTC medication to a patient.

• The sports medicine team must be aware of federal and state regulations regarding the administration and dispensation of drugs or medications, as well as the regulations specific to each profession.

• The FDA regulates the safety, efficacy, and security of drugs, including appropriate labeling, and has no jurisdiction over supplements.

• Drug regulation in the United States reflects several health events that precipitated major shifts in public opinion, including the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (1938) and serious adverse effects attributed to thalidomide.Legal Aspects of Medication Management: Drug Legislation, Drug Schedules, and Traveling with Prescription Medications

• Thalidomide caused a rare birth defect (phocomelia) in an estimated 10,000 children due to maternal exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy.

• Thalidomide's teratogenic effects led to the Kefauver-Harris Amendment of 1962, requiring more extensive testing of new drugs for teratogenic effects.

• Thalidomide is now approved by the FDA for limited use as an immunoregulatory agent and to treat certain forms of leprosy.

• Drug legislation in the United States underwent major revisions with the enactment of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1971.

• The CSA requires registration with the Attorney General for anyone who manufactures, dispenses, prescribes, or administers any controlled substance.

• The CSA places all substances regulated under existing federal law into one of five schedules based on potential for abuse, accepted medical use, and safety or dependence liability.

• Heroin is a Schedule I drug, while cocaine is a Schedule II drug due to its potential use as a local anesthetic.

• Drugs, substances, and chemicals used to make drugs are classified into five schedules based on acceptable medical use and potential for abuse or dependency.

• Schedule I drugs have no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, while Schedule V drugs have the least potential for abuse.

• Non-controlled substances are prescription medications with less risk of abuse or addiction that have a medical purpose.

• Physicians, ATs, and other HCPs must comply with all relevant laws regarding possessing and dispensing drugs, including controlled substances.

• When traveling outside of their state of licensure, prescribers must ensure they are properly handling and dispensing medications according to legislation for the state they are visiting.