Although you would probably prefer to think that the people who work for you are honest, it's an unfortunate fact that employee theft is surprisingly prevalent. This issue can be even more serious in a medical facility where your employees have access to medication that is intended for your patients. You could lose medication to those who are looking to make a quick buck or who suffer from a drug addiction. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to help prevent employee theft of medication in your medical facility.

Follow these tips, and you can help prevent this crime from being an issue:

Use an Outside Inventory Service

When you allow your employees to take inventory records themselves, you put yourself at an inflated risk of having things stolen and then "covered up." By hiring an outside company that specializes in medical inventory services, you can help prevent theft and can catch it more easily in many situations.

Use Surveillance Cameras

Keep surveillance cameras in any area where medication is frequently handled or stored. Many employees will be too afraid to try to steal anything if they know that they are on camera, plus you will have the solid proof that you need in the event that your medication does turn up missing.

Keep Medication in a Controlled Area

Be very careful about where you keep the medication for your medical facility. Keep it in a locked room that only a select few employees have access to. Consider installing an automated system that requires employees to swipe their badge any time that they enter the storage area; then, you can hold people accountable for their actions. Plus, you can help prevent employees who shouldn't have access to medication at all from taking anything.

Take Matters Very Seriously

It's critical to take these matters very seriously. If you do catch one of your employees stealing medication, consider getting local law enforcement involved. If your employees know that you will pursue justice if they get caught, they may be less willing to take a chance on taking medication that doesn't belong to them.

Theft of medication can be surprisingly prevalent in your average medical facility, so it's important to protect yourself and your facility. Luckily, following these tips can help you prevent this from becoming an issue and can keep your employees from committing this unfortunate crime.

To learn more, contact a company like Instant Inventory Service.