Disposal of Drug Samples • Stolen SS Numbers • Medicare Eligibility

Question: How do we dispose of drug samples given to us by pharmaceutical representatives?

Answer: According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, there are only two options when it comes to the disposal of drug samples. One of these options is to return it to the pharmaceutical company for credit. If this isn’t possible, you can call the only distributor in southern California that will dispose of them properly. EXP Pharmaceutical Services Corporation (800) 350-0397, will mail you a box for these samples and provide information on how to properly ship it back to them. The cost varies depending on the type of substance(s) being disposed of, and it could be at a higher rate because of the amount of paperwork involved with controlled substances. There is no limit to the quantity of samples they can take, but with controlled substances they need to account for all of the controlled substances in all forms (pills, liquids, capsules, etc). You can also take a look at their website, www.expworld.com, for more information on their procedures.

Question: Someone broke into our office and stole one of our computers. The computer contained our billing software, which includes the Social Security numbers for all of our patients. What do we need to do?

Answer: The California Legislature passed a law requiring any person who conducts business in this state, including physicians and physician groups, to disclose any security breach to any California resident whose unencrypted computerized personal information was or is reasonably believed to have been acquired by an unauthorized person. This can be done by sending a letter to your patients. The California Office of Privacy Protection has sample letters unique to the nature of the breach (i.e., credit card numbers, Social Security numbers). You can find these letters at www.oispp.ca.gov, under the “Consumer Privacy” tab. It is also recommended that you notify your professional liability carrier of the breach.

Question: How do we check Medicare eligibility for patients?

Answer: Medicare has a system called the Interactive Voice Response System (IVR), that will give you this information, and it will tell you when eligibility began for each patient. The number to call is (866) 502-9054.