Unmasking Drug Diversion: Safeguarding ASCs and Hospitals

Matt Cordio is the President and Chair of MedServe, a healthcare technology company providing digital narcotic management solutions for ambulatory surgery centers and outpatient clinics. He acquired the company through Tomorrow River Ventures, which he founded and continues to serve as the managing partner. As a serial entrepreneur, Matt co-founded the Wisconsin Startup Coalition, an advocacy voice of Wisconsin's startup founders, and founded Skills Pipeline, where he serves as a partner and advisor.  Alex Yampolsky, PharmD, MBA, is the CEO of MedServe. Before joining MedServe in 2022, he co-founded Vytal Health, a telemedicine startup focused on integrative medicine, and held leadership roles at TelePharm and Aurora Health Care. In this episode… Drug diversion poses a serious threat to healthcare facilities, particularly ambulatory surgery centers, where vulnerabilities in medication management can have devastating consequences. The misuse or theft of narcotics endangers patient safety and exposes facilities to legal, financial, and reputational risks. How can healthcare leaders safeguard their organizations against this pervasive issue? Clinical pharmacist Alex Yampolsky and business leader Matt Cordio have developed a system for mitigating drug diversion in outpatient settings. Alex emphasizes the importance of implementing robust policies, conducting regular audits, and recognizing behavioral red flags among staff, such as frequent disappearances or discrepancies in narcotic usage. Matt also suggests transitioning from paper logs to digital narcotic management systems to improve traceability and accountability. Taking proactive measures like mock diversion drills, strong company culture, and clear reporting processes fosters safer healthcare environments. In this episode of HealthTalk Insights, Danilo D'Aprile interviews Matt Cordio and Alex Yampolsky of MedServe, about addressing drug diversion in healthcare. Together, they discuss the risks of outdated medication management, DEA audit challenges, and cost-effective prevention strategies.