Nursing Employment, Law, and Professional Development Practice Exam

Constant drug availability increases opportunities for diversion because the more access someone has to controlled substances, the more chances there are to take a dose without being immediately detected. When medications are continuously reachable—whether in unlocked cabinets, carts, or near the caregiver’s workspace—temptation can rise and the opportunity to divert grows. This is why strict access controls, secure storage, routine inventory checks, and heightened supervision are essential to reduce the risk. In contrast, reducing or eliminating access would not occur with constant availability, and saying there is no effect or that abuse potential is eliminated would ignore the reality that access drives diversion risk.