Why Diversion Software Can't Do It Alone with Gordon Watkins, Wolters KluwerWhy Diversion Software Can't Do It Alone with Gordon Watkins, Wolters Kluwer
Drug Diversion Insights with Terri Vidals
Terri Vidals and Gordon Watkins talk about why hospital drug diversion programmes need people, process and technology working together, rather than relying on software alone. They discuss the human impact of diversion, the limits of AI, and practical steps for building safer, more compassionate systems.
44:10•16 Sept 2026
Why Drug Diversion Software Needs People, Process and Compassion
Episode Overview
- Software can highlight risky patterns, but human investigators are needed to understand intent and context.
- Effective diversion programmes rest on people, process and technology working together, supported by strong leadership and culture.
- Good processes are crucial; without them, alerts stall, cases go nowhere and improvements are missed.
- Technology should reduce time spent chasing data and free teams to build relationships and conduct deeper investigations.
- Accountability for diversion must be paired with compassion, recognising the impact on both patients and clinicians with substance use issues.
“At the heart of it, I always think of drug diversion as more of a human issue, a patient safety issue than just a regulatory issue.”
Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of how drug diversion harms patients, staff and entire communities, and what it actually takes to stop it. This episode focuses on hospital drug diversion programmes and why software, on its own, is never enough. Pharmacist and diversion specialist Terri Vidals talks with Gordon Watkins of Wolters Kluwer, who shares both personal and professional reasons for caring deeply about diversion.
Growing up in a western Pennsylvania town hit hard by the opioid crisis and losing classmates, he came to see that “at the heart of it, I always think of drug diversion as more of a human issue, a patient safety issue than just a regulatory issue.” Together they break down Gordon’s “three‑legged stool” of an effective diversion programme: people, process and technology.
You’ll hear why even the smartest AI and machine learning tools can only highlight patterns and risk scores, not intent, and why curious investigators with good clinical and operational knowledge are essential. The conversation makes clear that software should shift work from spreadsheet-chasing to real conversations with staff, not replace people or let organisations cut back on diversion roles.
There’s also practical talk on building solid processes, governing technology over time, and using data to spot odd workflows and safety problems, not just confirmed diversion. Gordon stresses relationships with nursing, anaesthesia and leadership, and urges programmes to measure improvement rather than just counting cases. For anyone in healthcare who cares about addiction, substance use and patient safety, this chat shows how accountability and compassion can sit side by side in diversion work.
It’s a reminder that behind every alert is a human story. How might your organisation strengthen its people, process and technology to better protect both patients and clinicians?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.