hottiefromky
Member
Reged: 05/29/03
Posts: 149
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I just posted this on another forum, but thought you all would be interested in knowing about this too:
I'm a new RN grad, and you wont believe the horror stories I've heard in nursing school about RN's that falsify med records saying they gave their patients the drugs and then they would either take them while working or save them for home. If the doctor writes a script for 1-2 prn oxys and then the patient doesnt want them, you are supposed to "waste" these meds down the drain or in a disposal. However, its easy enough to stick one or both of them in your pocket and say that you did give them to the patient. Youre supposed to get another RN to sign off with you anytime you 'waste' a narcotic, but, there are still ways around this apparently. RN's are one of the leading professions in this country that are addicts. It is so easy to falsify records to get narcs in hospitals. Now, I've never heard of someone fishing through a sharps container, thats a new one for me. But, I have heard of RNs with IV hep locks in their thighs/stomachs and just shoot up half the morphine instead of giving it to the patients. Or give their patients half the dose and then give themselves the other half. There are alot of RNs that loose their license this way. It is getting tougher to do this now with all the new computer systems, etc, however, it still comes down to the RNs word against a groggy, doped up patient whether he got his pain meds or not. I havent started working in a hospital yet, but our local hospital just busted 2 RNs for stealing narc's this way. Apparently they were taking out 2 pills as the order was written by the MD, then only giving the patient one and pocketing the other. After the MD noticed the patient not getting pain relief as he should be getting from 2 pills, they started questioning and watching her apparently. Anyway, yes, nursing is a leading profession for drug seekers/addicts. In my opinion, hydro schedule III is bad enough to get addicted too, but these nurses have access to Schedule 1 and 2 drugs so you can imagine how quickly they can be addicted. Plus not only are they compromising themselves, careers, etc, but they are leaving these poor patients in pain for hours b/c they document the drug was given and then the MD will not give anymore to the patient for several hours. Its sad and scary some of the stories Ive heard in this topic.
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brain4201
Enthusiast
Reged: 08/13/02
Posts: 216
Loc: 1 hr from Dallas
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Just a bit of information...NOONE has access to Schedule I meds..not even MDs as they have NO accepted medical use, only MDs have access to SchII and below...Just thought I would throw that in there..
B 
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"Life is only what you make of it"
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quincy
Board Addict
Reged: 11/07/02
Posts: 333
Loc: pacific northwest
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Anyone who works in the medical profession has access to narcotics. I think its actually easier to do in a private doctors office rather than a hospital. I also went to nursing school (although I hated it and quit) and saw this practice in nursing homes and hospitals to some extent. It seems pretty stupid to me to take only one or two pills at a time, the narcotics are so closely watched. Right now I work at a lab and we do drug screens for the state. We have random screens for doctors and nurses who got busted someway and now must submit to random UA's several times a month. If they don't they lose their licence. I don't know if they are prosecuted, but I don't think many are. Its just too common and a lot of powerful people would be embarassed by that. It easier to monitor them and lay their licence on the line. You would be surprised to see how many doctors we have!! Even some I have worked for and would never suspect that they got caught with drugs somehow. I have never asked them about it, I would lose my own job, but I can't help but wonder if everyone who has to get tested really was an addict or diverted prescriptions. Somehow I don't think so. I hope that none of them have to do that because the DEA questione their prescribing practices. I am trying to develop some rapport with some of my "patients" and see why they have to get tested. It would be so interesting to see why.
Also, if you work in a private doctors office, there are so many ways to get pills. You have access to prescription pads, learn how to call in prescriptions, see the catalouges that get sent to the office selling narcotics for in office use. (I always wondered what would happen if I placed an order for the office) Even the lowliest secretatry can get away with it. And for those of you who say "you'll get caught" I have seen it happen so many times that you'd be amazed. I personally knew of 3 nurses out of 9 in a clinic who called in their own scripts. Thats 1/3rd of an office staff!! As long as you know what you are doing and don't get greedy and don't use insurance you probably won't get caught. I have to say that many a night when I am laying awake bacause of pain I am so tempted to make a quick call to Rite-aid or something. But of course I am one of those people who can't get away with anything and I know I'd get caught. Besides I really am not desparate enough to go to jail over some pills. But a lot of people are, more than you'd think. I mean how easy is it to call a pharmacy and say you are the nurse for Dr. So and So and you'd like to call in some vicoden for elderly Mrs. Smith? Fake name, fake address and no insurance. The only risk is picking it up. So thats why so many healthcare workers indulge in this-its very easy.
Q
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Jordan530
WonderWoman
Reged: 11/20/02
Posts: 597
Loc: The Left Coast of Florida
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Re: this subject, there's a book out there titled "Doctors at Risk" I can't recall who wrote it ( I believe it was an MD from Jacksonville, FL) but it's a v.v. interesting book. Just a little tidbit of info there for anyone who may be interested....
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'A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand'
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sara43
Member
Reged: 05/14/02
Posts: 196
Loc: Mississippi
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wow! I had no clue this was going on.
No wonder a lot of use can't get the meds we need.
bad toads!
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wat853son
Member
Reged: 04/28/03
Posts: 150
Loc: USA
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Working in healthcare I have observed the "sharps" divers pilfering through the OSHA mandated safety containers hoping to find dilaudid or other narcotic that was not properly "wasted". Wasting takes time . . . quicker to toss in sharps container or worse, save. Also rumors of RNs diluting and wasting saline to mask the process and save narc for them. Sad. But a reality that in most cases is the healthcare employee vs. Joe Public.
Sad indeed.
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MacReady
Newbie
Reged: 07/15/03
Posts: 43
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Quote:
Just a bit of information...NOONE has access to Schedule I meds
You better believe people do. Law enforcement has a varitable buffet at their finger tips. Thats just one example though.
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"I know what you mean Blair. Trust is a tough thing to come by these days.
Tell you what, why dont you just trust in the Lord?"
-RJ MacReady
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gage
Member
Reged: 11/27/02
Posts: 138
Loc: south central U.S.A.
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i lost a good friend (nurse)39 yrs old due to her addiction to ANY pain meds. she stole mine once, about a month later she was dead from an overdose of hydro. she once told me she could take 30 a day(not sure what strength)she died in her bathroom at home alone!!!!
i also had a nurse after one of my surgeries who nooded off while giving me an i.v.(with no gloves)i know she was getting my meds, but i never reported her.i just asked to be swichted to oxys instead of morphine.
i could never be a nurse!!! besides there overworked!!!!
gage
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hottiefromky
Member
Reged: 05/29/03
Posts: 149
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I haven't started any nursing position yet, but yes, I have heard all these horror stories and more like I originally posted. It is a scary thought of how easy these drugs can be obtained through medical personal. I have a friend right now that just lost her baby b/c she was a Home Health RN and was stealing her hospice patients pain meds for herself and then got addicted and her baby died. No one had a clue she was even addicted. I'm getting ready to start a PT home health position myself and the thought someone could steal from another person knowing they are lying in bed in pain is just sickening to me. I have had many a night in my own bed in pain not even with something like cancer and thats why I went the OP route and I couldnt imagine doing that to another person dying or not. And now she has killed her own child and sacrificed her whole career. Too sad.
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537
Threadhead
Reged: 12/08/01
Posts: 766
Loc: west coast CA
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Was she pregnant?
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Karrie515
Newbie
Reged: 08/14/03
Posts: 48
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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From the way it sounds I think she was pregnant. Took too many and killed her unborn child? How sad.
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hottiefromky
Member
Reged: 05/29/03
Posts: 149
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Yes, she was very much pregnant. Due in like 2 weeks! I didnt even know she was pregnant b/c we had lost touch in so long.
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hottiefromky
Member
Reged: 05/29/03
Posts: 149
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BTW, I haven't got an update on what happened to her after the death of her baby, but, many things could have killed her fetus, but the likelihood it was her narcotic addiction is very high. From what I understand, no one knew either except her sister; so, I doubt her OBGYN will ever investigate. The only reason I know is b/c her sister told me and asked my advice if she should 'tell' on her AFTER the baby died. I keep thinking why she waited so long to do something before the baby died!!! But, I guess she had her reasons or maybe she just thought it wouldn't kill the baby. Nonetheless, I don't know if anyone ever found out, but I live in a small town and I havent heard otherwise. So, her doctors probably just chalked it up to some unfortunate birth defect when it was actually the drugs. Too sad. If her sister had asked me before the baby died, you better believe as a RN, Id find some confidential way to call her OB and alert her to the situation. But, like I said, I hadnt seen her in years and didnt even know she was pregnant.
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537
Threadhead
Reged: 12/08/01
Posts: 766
Loc: west coast CA
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That makes me want to cry. I don't want to pass judgment, but I remember being pregnant last year, and I had chronic pain issues, but I knew I had to stop taking the pain meds for my baby. I so thankful that I was able to do that. Your friend will probably live in her own private hell for the rest of her life. I hope she gets help and can somehow forgive herself. Is it possible though, that it was somehing else that happened to the baby? When I was pregnant, I told my doctor that I had been taking hydro regularly before I knew I was pregnant and she said the baby would be fine, just to find other pain relief. MAybe the amount and duration your friend had been on was too much. I'm just so sad for that little soul, and your friend, too.
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lolajones
Newbie
Reged: 02/04/03
Posts: 39
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We had an LPN working in the Emergency Room at the hospital I worked at stealing 1/2 vials of demerol type drugs and mixing that with her cocaine and shooting up in the bathroom AT WORK! She got caught when she had a seizure in the bathroom they found her needle kit, otherwise they wouldn't have known. She died a month later at home in her bathtub shooting up drugs. How sad. Also had a Paramedic who used to steel 1/2 vials of demerol and shoot up between his toes, he looked like a very clean cut "Richie" type from happy days, go figure. We had another Paramedic stopping at an auto accident drunk with his little Paramedic kit and started an IV in a lady's neck who was dead at the scene, got his license yanked. These are human beings, we must remember.
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maria
Journeyman
Reged: 07/07/03
Posts: 92
Loc: nowhere
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It happens all the time at the hospital I work at. A couple of months ago, an RN got busted for signing out massive amounts of demerol for a baby. she had been doing it for a while, too. And before that, a doc was busted for drawing morphine out of vials and replacing it with water. Sometimes the drug count in the Omnicell won't match up, and goes unexplained. Diversion will always exist, as long as addiction exists.
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