Many of the patients served by the clinic may not have the financial resources to purchase needed medications from a commercial pharmacy or may need them immediately after their treatment. Failure to obtain and properly use needed medications can compromise the success of certain procedures and the patient's health. Clinic administrators will need to decide whether the clinic will stock and maintain a formulary of medications deemed necessary for the proper care of the clinic's patients.
If the clinic does choose to maintain a formulary, special consideration must be given to stocking and dispensing narcotic analgesics and other controlled substances, especially in light of the recent opiate epidemic. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency enforces federal laws, rules, and guidelines covering the purchasing, stocking, prescribing, and dispensing of controlled substances. [[Link “U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency” to: https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/index.html]]
Failure to follow these rules and regulations can lead to civil and criminal prosecution. Local dental, medical, or pharmacy boards may have additional rules about prescribing or dispensing narcotics, such as entry into a prescription database. Additionally, the presence of such drugs in the clinic can increase security concerns.
Formulary Suggestions
In addition, every office must carry essential emergency drugs that include:
Source: Haas, DA. 2006. Management of medical emergencies in the dental office: Conditions in each country, the extent of treatment by the dentist. Anesthetic Progress. 53(1):20–24.