Security

CHAPTER 22


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Security



Learning Objectives


Mastery of the content in this chapter will enable the reader to:


• Define the importance of one-way door locks.


• Describe methods used to protect a computer system against embezzlement and hackers.


• Describe methods used to protect the practice against theft from both employees and thieves.


• Identify an effective security system for the practice.


• Define perimeter lighting.


• Define personal protection devices.



Key Terms



Security for team members and the practice must be considered a top priority. Practices have an ethical obligation to provide a safe and secure working environment for employees as well as a safe and secure hospital for clients and their pets. Safety goes beyond the standard preventions for slips and falls; security must be included and viewed from several aspects. Computer systems must be protected from employees, clients, the general public, and especially hackers. The practice must be protected from robbers and thieves, and clients and patients must be protected from harm and danger.


Practices should use deadbolts on all doors and one-way locks on all doors except the client entrance. When the business is open, the deadbolts must remain unlocked. The one-way door lock only allows access into the building with a key, but clients and employees can exit anytime. The client entrance door must let clients enter and exit as needed; therefore a standard door lock can be installed. All doors must be locked before the last team member leaves the premises to ensure the safety of the practice.


Entrances must be protected and monitored for those who enter. Any door other than the one clients enter must be locked at all times. A person could enter through any unlocked door in the rear of the practice and hide until the practice closes. He or she could harm employees quickly and force them into inconceivable actions. It is imperative to secure doors, and they must remain locked from the outside at all times. One-way door locks allow employees and clients to escape if an emergency occurs.



COMPUTER SYSTEM


The computer system is a valuable asset to the practice and must be protected from hackers, employees, and clients. A computer hacker is an individual or group or individuals who attempt to break into programs or networks that are restricted. Once they gain access to the restricted program, the hackers can cause damage to the program or network. This damage can range from changing prices to deleting transactions as well as installing viruses that can cripple the system. Chapter 8 describes several products that can be used to protect a system from hackers. Antivirus software, firewalls, and antispyware should be installed on each computer that is linked to the system to aid in the protection.



image PRACTICE POINT


Computers must be backed up daily at the end of each shift.


Practices should ensure that the system is backed up on a nightly basis, either to an off-premises location or onto a CD that is removed from the system. If a thief breaks into the practice at night and steals the computer or causes severe damage to it, information can be fully reinstalled onto a new computer.


It is terrible to assume that computers must be protected from employees; however, employees will, on occasion, steal client mailing lists and sell them, either to a competing veterinarian or to a mail order company that is willing to pay for the names and addresses.



image PRACTICE POINT


Veterinary computer software should be password protected for specified procedures.


Passwords should be put in place on a computer system, allowing only certain individuals access to financial reports, mailing lists, and deletion codes. Office managers should be the only employees allowed to delete transactions, and practice managers and owners should be the only team members allowed to change or delete product and service codes. Managers should also be the only authority to change and/or override prices of products and services. Managers should review the audit trail daily looking for any signs of embezzlement or theft.


If computers are located in exam rooms, a password-protected screen saver should be enabled. Clients waiting to be seen may try to access the Internet or their record. Confidential information may be obtained by these clients if they access the practice management system.



THEFT


Theft can occur at any time, either by an employee or by a person who enters the building with the intent to commit a crime. Employee theft can range from embezzling cash to stealing products and/or food. Procedures must be implemented to prevent either situation from occurring. Cash transactions must be recorded immediately, both in the computer and in the client’s record. Receipts must be produced for clients indicating their account has been paid with cash. End-of-day totals must match the cash in the drawer, along with all credit card and check transactions. The deposit must then be double checked by the practice manager, ensuring that the deposit made to the bank at the end of the day matches the end-of-day deposit in the computer. If any discrepancy exists, it must be investigated immediately. Review Chapter 2 for more information on end-of-day reconciliation security features.


Team members purchasing products should always have the designated office manager enter the products or services into the computer. This ensures consistency in entering codes and allows someone other than the team member purchasing the product to determine the total. If owners, associates, or practice managers see an employee taking product that has not been charged for out of the building, the employee should be questioned immediately, not days later.


Practices must always be prepared for criminal intent. Practices are the target for theft of both drugs and cash. Many practices do not keep a large amount of cash on hand, especially since the payment trend has shifted to debit cards instead of cash for payment of



image What Would You Do/Not Do?


Chade, a new veterinary assistant, observed a long-term associate place a box of Heartgard in her purse and leave the practice. She does not yet know what the procedures are for charging employees for products and assumes that the associate has been charged for the product. Two months later, she sees the same associate place cephalexin capsules in a pill vial without creating a label for the medication. Chade has learned that labels are created once a product is entered into the computer, which then charges appropriately. Chade is unsure about the process but feels that the associate may be taking product from the clinic. She is unsure whether she should talk to the owner about the associate. She feels that because she is the new employee, that the owner or practice manager may not believe her.


Related posts:

  1. Veterinary Ethics and Legal Issues
  2. Controlled Substances
  3. Pet Health Insurance
  4. Technology in the Office

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Oct 1, 2016 | Posted by in EXOTIC, WILD, ZOO | Comments Off on Security

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