3 Essential Uses for Medical Cabinets

3 Essential Uses for Medical Cabinets

Medical professionals know the importance of dealing with potentially harmful substances very carefully. A medical cabinet is a great way to keep drugs in a safe place.

3 Essential Uses for Medical Cabinets In a medical practice, it is essential to keep controlled substances in a secure location. Finding or installing a secure container for potentially harmful drugs is an important part of maintaining comprehensive office security. Medical cabinets are important for a variety of reasons; here are three central uses for them:
  • A sturdy medical cabinet is required by law. Make sure you are keeping any controlled drugs in a container that conforms to safety regulations.
  • Locked cabinets keep harmful substances away from children.
  • A medical cabinet will help you keep expensive medical inventory from being stolen.

Conform to Security Regulations

The first thing you should consider when you are keeping drugs in your medical office are the rules and regulations surrounding safe drug custody. Under the Safe Custody amendment of the Misuse of Drugs Act of 1971, medical professionals must keep potentially harmful drugs in a secure double locked steel cabinet. A medical cabinet like the Burton Medical Drug Wall Cabinet can help your office meet those legal regulations. It can also be wall mounted so that the key holders can easily access medicines when they are needed. You should also keep a recorded inventory of the drugs in your stock. If you suspect that any controlled substance has been stolen, notify police right away. Also, make sure you properly dispose of expired stock with a designated official as a witness.

Keep Drugs Out of a Child’s Reach

Besides that fact that the law says you must keep controlled drugs inside proper medical containers, there are several practical uses for a medical cabinet. Children are, of course, more at risk when it comes to picking up and consuming the wrong things. Their unfiltered curiosity mixed with the constant need to put objects in their mouths, puts young children at risk when they are around harmful substances. For this reason it is important to keep drugs in a secure location that even the most tenacious child cannot get into.  If a medical cabinet is also mounted high on a wall, it makes it that much harder for them to get a hold of something dangerous.

Protect Valuable Substances

If you work in a medical facility for long enough you may run into an addict looking for controlled drugs. It is an unfortunate truth in medicine but it something that medical professionals have to deal with often. Keeping controlled substances under lock and key in a medical cabinet is a great way to defend against potential thieves. If you suspect that a patient or someone in your office has an addiction or dependency on controlled substances, you should attempt to get them the help they need immediately or notify someone who can. Some drugs are not only sought after because of their effects but because of their cost. Many controlled substances have a significant monetary value and thieves can sell them for high profits if they manage to get their hands on them. For the same reason, losing an expensive drug does not only mean that you’ve lost a potentially harmful substance, it means you’ve lost a valuable piece of inventory. To increase the security of your office and your compliance with drug regulation be sure to use a quality medical cabinet. Photo credits: Some rights reserved by somegeekintn