What is the record of controlled substance usage and wastage called?

• A. Narcotic Prescription
• B. Tamperproof Tag
• C. Perpetual Log
• D. Medication Storage

Answer: (C)

Ongoing accountability for controlled substances is kept with a perpetual log, a running tally of every item received, dispensed, and disposed of. This approach allows the pharmacy or EMS system to reconcile the physical inventory with the recorded transactions in real time, making it possible to detect discrepancies quickly and prevent diversion or loss. Controlled substances are subject to strict regulatory requirements, so having a continuously updated record that includes both usage and wastage is essential for compliance, safety, and accuracy.

Other options don’t capture the dynamic tracking of both consumption and disposal. A narcotic prescription records what a clinician prescribed to a patient, not the facility’s total usage and wastage. A tamperproof tag is a seal used to deter tampering, not a ledger of transactions. Medication storage refers to where meds are kept, not the log of how much has been used or discarded.