Analytics, machine learning help spot drug diversion at Piedmont Athens

For 20 years, Russ Nix worked in the public safety and law enforcement arenas; while working as an undercover narcotics officer, he saw the impact of the growing opioid crisis and addictions to other medications. Now, Nix works as a drug diversion specialist at Piedmont Athens (Ga.) Regional Medical Center, a job he pitched to the 360-bed hospital and got. Drug diversion is the taking of medications outside of the hospital or pharmacy and it is primarily done by inside personnel, such as a nurse or physician and possibly a pharmacist. In general, however, pharmacy departments are put in charge of drug diversion programs given they usually have the most access, Nix explains. Piedmont Athens became a pilot site with Invistics, a vendor of advanced healthcare inventory visibility and analytics software that uses machine learning technology and analytics to detect opioid and drug theft across the hospital--the program was funded via a grant to Invistics in 2017 from the National Institutes of Health.