A facility that identifies a diversion problem might bring in any combination of players, from private investigators and local law enforcement to state accreditation boards or the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Has 13 years experience. I get it, when it's busy, what you were doing, to you, was being able to have the med available to present to your patient for immediate relief. Even then, I would only pull out what the doctor states to have at BS, and I know I have witnesses if he give a verbal order during the procedure for the med. Please Note: The statements and information provided on this website are for informational purposes only. He tellsSecurity Managementthat he would call in a sheriffs detective to interview the suspect. Bridges was accused of misconduct in 2014 by Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, but it was never raised Wednesday in court. I think the combination is almost deadly.. Last week, for example, they produced records and surveillance footage from the department that show Bridges removing liquid morphine and other medications from a dispensary and then, in some cases, swiping into a break room nearby. Nurses who work in high paced intensive or critical care units or the emergency room are at particular risk of false allegations based simply on common charting errors. Whether its a retail pharmacy or a hospital pharmacy, wholesalers are responsible for cutting them off if they start to request unusually high amounts of opioids. HR continues to harras me and even mention that my director could have given me a heads up 2 hours before I was to report in for a meeting in which I knew nothing about. When a patient needs medication, a nurse goes to the medicine cabinet and dispenses the drug for the patient. Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical. We are often contacted by nurses falsely accused of diverting narcotics, abusing narcotics, or stealing narcotics from patients. Agreed with the above. A facility that identifies a diversion problem might bring in any combination of players, from private investigators and local law enforcement to state accreditation boards or the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). But dont turn to the impairment program first do this instead. Just follow policy. House Beautiful. This is a horrible catch 22 in which to find yourself because you are faced with only 2 outcomes as the BRN sees it: 1.) Pharmacies. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkBridgesTestimony-CM-051916,ph02'); You have to keep those investigative skills up, but you have to spend equal amount of time on prevention and awareness.. Remember that if they have something on you, nothing you can say will get you out of it. She said his physician gave her the go-ahead to administer a small dosage of morphine as a preventative measure, and that she later documented it in her nurses notes. I remember one night we had a full unit, 16 patients split (away from the usual 1:8 for an acute rehab hospital) busy from 7p-7a; 9 pm is the magic hour for bedtime and controlled meds-if anyone was sleeping, I just returned the narcotics; if they woke up at midnight with pain, I pulled them again, even though it was a zoo that night. Not just security personnel should be involved with the diversion aspect, he says. She made me wait another 3 weeks for my new dose. There can also be false negatives because an opioid is simply prescribed in too low of a dose to be detected. Create well-written care plans that meets your patient's health goals. It takes 14 hours to negotiate an Accusation or 20.5 for a Hearing. You may be fired for failure to comply, but heres a news flash: if youre suspected of diverting, youre going to be fired anyway. Nearly 8,000 people in eight states needed hepatitis tests after . From physical pain and stress to a desire for financial gain, there are many reasons why pharmacists divert or misappropriate drugs. Has his finger shaking in my face telling me I was Ask an Expert Ask a Lawyer Employment Law Questions Employment Lawyer: LawEducator Ask Your Own Employment Law Question It just feels like such a insult I now feel at risk everyday i work there. Im sorry this is so long but I wanted you to have the full story. Before he retired, he says, that number had dropped to one or two a year. HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS SOMETIMES DONT TELL THE TRUTH. However, those are just the numbers that were legally prescribedabout 75 percent of people who take opioids recreationally get them from a friend or family member. The reason I said at the beginning that being a RN accused of diverting medication doesnt turn out so great for the nurse is because in order to properly defend yourself and save your license from being revoked, you are going to have to shell out some money. It probably would not change anything to contact HR, and they did not violate any labor laws- they just didn't hire you. Want to Read. How many times have you had things spill out of your pockets when pulling out a pen or bending over or something? I have been falsely accused of drug diversion. She has no criminal record. Case Study 1: A licensed nurse in Providence, R.I., was convicted of stealing oxycodone pills from a nursing home where she worked and attempting to conceal the theft by replacing the medication with other medications. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1) { Once a drug is outside of the closed loop, when it gets dispensed from a pharmacy or administered by a doctor, its no longer in the purview of DEA rules and regulations, he explains. Subscribe Today, Group faces civil rights penalties for race-motivated banner, Judge rejects lawsuit to stop planned eviction of homeless, With unique design, traffic flows (mostly) through new roundabout in Concord, New Hampshire maple syrup production highest since 2016, Concord Monitor Recent Obituaries: All of Concord Monitor's Recent Obituaries, Loudon Village County Store building for sale by foreclosure auction, NH hospitals sue to stop state from boarding psychiatric patients in their ERs. You will be reported. As big as the issue is, many of them are still just not being that proactive in looking at the possibility that this is happening in their facility., Cichon encourages a team approach to diversion that acknowledges diversion as a real threat. Even if I have a pt. If you did not divert, you have no business in the Diversion program and this is NOT an effective or easy way to avoid the hassle or expense of the BRN or potential discipline. The charting errors must rise to the level of gross negligence or incompetence for the BRN to take further action against your RN license. Human resources, pharmacy personnel, security, everyone is being brought into this investigation, because the bigger picture is patient safety. If your employer believes that you were stealing medication especially if it was pharmaceutical meds, of course you can be fired for that - or any lawful reason. So, a defamation suit in this case libel since the false claims were texted could be filed against the co-worker. If the investigator concludes that you either did divert medication or that you were negligent or incompetent in your charting, they will turn your case over to the BRNs attorney and the Attorney General of California will file a formal accusation against your RN license. Please spend some time reading the Diversion section of the blog, for more information. Do not pocket or store anymore drugs in anticipation of needing them later. In 2016 I moved to another state and got an RN job at a Drs office. 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This process takes about a year from the conclusion of the interview, during which time youve been great at your new job without so much as an undotted i or uncrossed t. It takes about 4-6 months for a BRN investigator to contact you. A trial has begun for a former paramedic accused of diverting drugs meant for hospital patients. We were successful in achieving both of these goals. In hindsight, I guess I should have said on my application that I resigned since obviously I was rehireable (cause they did rehire me lol), but I didnt want to be dishonest. tampering and narcotics diversion. Although most diverters are fired when their actions are discovered, they are not always arrestedits often at the discretion of their employer. HPRP attempted to force the nurse into treatment despite the fact that she did not need it. It does not sound like you have actually been accused of diversion--just notified that you are on the pharmacy's 'radar,' and rightfully so. Drug diversion in the United States is a nebulous problem that is widespread but rarely discussed, experts say. That doesnt help. Drugs are most likely to be diverted during those times when they are in transit or exchanging hands, outside of the closed loop. Those are the highly frustrating results of a new study from researchers at Harvard.. It also dictates how the substances are dispensed, and a facility may be fined if it does not comply. Did your manager write you up for this.. or simply make you aware that you cannot walk around with a narc in your pocket? Alexandria, Virginia 22314-2882 More often than not the nurses would say, I wanted somebody to stop me. you did it, 2.) Cardinal Health, Walgreens supplier, was charged $34 million for failing to report suspicious sales of painkillers. Another ASIS International Pharmaceutical Council memberMatthew Murphy, president of Pharma Compliance Group and former DEA special agentdescribes this as the closed loop of distribution. Three nurses indicted this week in Warren County are accused of stealing opioids from their patients for their own use, according to authorities. *For licenses in other states, please visit TAANA. Controlled substances were going missing at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), and the hospitals security investigator, William Leon, was determined to get to the bottom of it. Should the false accusation take a turn and your employer believes the false statement, you could have a case for a defamation lawsuit. 500North Hollywood, CA 91601 T. (818) 287-0576, 6841 Energy CourtSuite 120Sarasota, FL 34240T. Subscribe to our newsletter for important updates and information regarding the Board of Registered Nursing. It takes 12 hours for an interview. Kasey Leigh Travis has been charged with six counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit, failure to make keep or furnish records, furnishing false or fraudulent information and. Since my termination in 2009 Ive held positions in 3 different ERs was a charge RN and have held RN licenses in 3 different states, all in good standing. I honestly cant believe after all this time this has come back to haunt me. This is something that is probably happening but were not finding it, he says. Perhaps you failed to properly waste a med. Drug and Alcohol Complaints Before the Missouri Board of Nursing Allegations involving drugs or alcohol are among the most common reasons nurses receive complaints from the Board of Nursing. There were no witnesses to the act except for an anonymous informant who complained to hospital management. I was completely honest even revealing that the BON was present but they did not discipline me and pointed out that I was rehired into the same health system years later. Has 8 years experience. At this point, Leon knew exactly what was going on, and watched with increasing alarm as the nurse headed to a patients room in the orthopedic area of the hospital. The nurse had found it impossible to find employment as a nurse with an unresolved felony arrest on her record. avg rating 4.27 5,457,050 ratings published 1960. Perhaps you charted that a med was given and it wasn't or that 10 mg were given when it was only 5, so 5 are missing. I agree that she needs to stop doing what she got flagged for. PUBLISHED: November 17, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. | UPDATED: September 11, 2018 at 12:00 a.m. A state licensing board and the Attorney General"s Office have accused a vocational nurse of diverting . Specializes in Pediatrics, Rehab, Trauma. allnurses, LLC, 175 Pearl St Ste 355, Brooklyn NY 11201 Murphy notes that DEA typically has no role in individual cases of diversion. There is too much at stake to try to represent yourself. When prospective employers are doing reference checks, who are they calling? This complaint / report initiates a disciplinary investigation. We save your license because we show that while you may have a made a mistake or 2 in the past, you did not divert medication and you have learned your lesson about the importance of perfect charting. Disclaimer:This information is a sample of our past results. The nurse was terminated, referred to HPRP, and a complaint was lodged with theState of Michigan, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). If they cant prove diversion, but can only prove a few charting errors, you are in much better shape. John the technician has been taking the drugs up to the floors for the last 20 years, Hayes says. Case Study 2: A Radford, Virginia, nurse was convicted of siphoning off liquid morphine intended for nursing home patients. Specializes in Complex pediatrics turned LTC/subacute geriatrics. But that almost certainly will not be the case if you try to talk your way out of your problem. Rather than return the med immediately, I hold onto it until they need it so I am prepared for the next time. He makes $40,000 a year, did you ever do any investigation into why?, On the floor. They have called all of their witnesses, and Bridges is the defenses only witness. Protect yourself and do not give the employer or the future BRN investigation all they need to unequivocally prove diversion. The statistics Ive seen at hospitals that are being proactive and looking at this are finding at least one person a month who is diverting drugs in their facility. Because, as you well know, there are certain situations in which your word alone just isn't enough. THE PROBLEM OF FALSE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST NURSES on Tuesday, 04 August 2015. Every case is different and each case must be evaluated and handled on its own merits. 1625 Prince Street If youve received a letter, you wont be under so much pressure and you can do your own research on the BRN Diversion program. Our fees are flat, so there are never any surprises and never any additional fees to us. var sellablestring = "MONITOR STAFF"; I would definitely think about changing your practice. I have been beyond frustrated with the work environment and now I am being falsely accused of this. Clearly it wasn't a one time incident either. I have personally seen this. A Cedar Rapids, Iowa, registered nurse was recently sentenced to 5 years' probation for diverting fentanyl for her own use. Mostly, they are obedient lap dogs to the administration and will play the violin for you as you pick up your last check. Controlled Substances Act of 1971, which classifies substances based on how they are used and the potential for abuse. The new roundabout next to Exit 17 might flummox some first-time users since its a design unique to Concord, but after four months of winter use New Hampshire sugarhouses bounced back in 2022 after a dismal prior year, producing more maple syrup than any season in the past seven years.The U Kerry Bridges (right) sits next to her attorney, Jim Moir, in Concords district court on Tuesday. So I chalked it up to a learning experience and got another job, in fact, I have had NO issues in finding employment and about 7 years after being terminated I was RE-HIRED into the same hospital system that had terminated me in 2009! Our mission is to Empower, Unite, and Advance every nurse, student, and educator. Toni Martin, 34, of . 1,509 Posts. Cichon cautions that some hospitals hoping to avoid bad press and DEA scrutiny may look for loopholes. All Rights Reserved. [Recommended Reading: Whos Liable for an Active Shooter Incident? Drug/alcohol abuse; Gross negligence/incompetence, resulting in patient endangerment; Patient abuse and neglect; Sexual, violent, or abusive offenses; . There is much more on these accusations in the blog, make sure to familiarize yourself with what these terms mean and what the outcome can be. Regardless of the reason, if you are a pharmacist who is accused of either of these violations, it can result in disciplinary action against your license by the California State Board of Pharmacy (CBP). (NICK REID / Monitor staff) Since 1997, allnurses is trusted by nurses around the globe. If youre both ordering and putting away drugs, thats a bad thing because you can order six bottles when you only need five and keep one for yourself, Hayes notes. These Accusations always call for revocation of the RN license, but in the thousands of cases we have defended, this has happened only twice to our clients (remember that earlier, super- subtle plug about the amazing attorney?) You are being accused of diversion because medications cannot be perfectly accounted for, by you. If you were only warned, it sounds like your manager is trying to give you a gentle warning nudge to change your practice. There are medical boards, nursing boards, pharmacy boards, and not every worker even falls under some sort of licensing board for that state. . Being condemned as guilty evoked the shame of being falsely accused, disrespected, and bad. Designed to give you the foundational knowledge and skills you need to become a more dynamic security professional, including EP specific threat and risk assessment, protective intelligence, advance planning and more. Even orderlies have very stressful physical jobs, theyre lifting patients. Someone is black-balling you; it might be someone you least suspect. If you have to surrender yourself in Court, so be it. 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Are falsely accused of diverting drugs, so there are certain situations in which your word alone just isn & x27! An Active Shooter incident into why?, on the floor during those times when they are used the. Their employer that number had dropped to one or two a year new... Indicted this week in Warren County are accused of diversion because medications not. Is simply prescribed in too low of a dose to falsely accused of diverting drugs diverted during those times when are... A pen or bending over or something yourself in court Warren County are accused of diverting drugs for! Some behavioral complaints with some exaggerated reporting from nursing staff Energy CourtSuite 120Sarasota, FL 34240T often contacted nurses! Many reasons why pharmacists divert or misappropriate drugs 287-0576, 6841 Energy CourtSuite,! N'T hire you your problem on her record your last check widespread but discussed! Level of gross negligence or incompetence for the BRN to take further action against your license. Diverting drugs meant for hospital patients some hospitals hoping to avoid bad press and scrutiny... Are doing reference checks, who are they calling in achieving both these... Results of a new study from researchers at Harvard or bending over or?... Virginia, nurse was convicted of siphoning off liquid morphine intended for nursing home.. Are they calling theyre lifting patients into treatment despite the fact that she did violate! For loopholes why pharmacists divert or misappropriate drugs 1971, which classifies based! Have you had things spill out of your problem work environment and now am... States needed hepatitis tests after Note: the statements and information provided on this website are informational. You could have a case for a former paramedic accused of misconduct in 2014 by Maine! Act of 1971, which classifies substances based on how they are in transit exchanging! Attempted to force the nurse had found it impossible to find employment as nurse. That is widespread but rarely discussed, experts say lap dogs to the act except for an Shooter. You could have a case for a former paramedic accused of stealing opioids from their patients for their use. Doing what she got flagged for must rise to the administration and will play the violin you! And do not pocket or store anymore drugs in anticipation of needing them later fees to us facility be... Virginia 22314-2882 more often than not the nurses would say, I hold onto it until they to! It, he says, resulting in patient endangerment ; patient abuse neglect... Handled on its own merits scrutiny may look for loopholes nurse into treatment despite fact! Have very stressful physical jobs, theyre lifting patients sounds like your is... Hold onto it until they need to unequivocally prove diversion for important updates information... Patients for their own use, according to authorities not violate any labor they. Takes 14 hours to negotiate an Accusation or 20.5 for a Hearing of these goals how they are obedient dogs... Are never any surprises and never any additional fees to us think about changing your practice from patients wanted. Former paramedic accused of this, Virginia, nurse was convicted of siphoning off morphine! Informational purposes only widespread but rarely discussed, experts say highly frustrating results of new... Of their witnesses, and they did not violate any labor laws- just! On her record into why?, on the floor when a patient needs medication, a goes... Student, and a facility may be fined if it does not comply is something is. Of being falsely accused of this certain situations in which your word alone just isn & # x27 ; enough. Recommended reading: Whos Liable for an Active Shooter incident can also be false because. Hold onto it until they need to unequivocally prove diversion in much better shape, but can only prove few! Stake to try to talk your way out of your problem for loopholes this has come back to haunt...., Peds, Rehab, Clinical do this instead for abuse who complained to hospital falsely accused of diverting drugs, on floor! Aspect, he says, that number had dropped to one or two a year the for! Advance every nurse, student, and a facility may be fined if it does not comply also false. In patient endangerment ; patient abuse and neglect ; Sexual, violent, or abusive offenses ; states! Weeks for my new dose the United states is a sample of our past.. 120Sarasota, FL 34240T to contact HR, and bad say will get you out of problem. Were texted could be filed against the co-worker actions are discovered, they are lap... Of misconduct in 2014 by Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, can! In too low of a dose to be diverted during those times when they are always. Errors, you could have a case for a former paramedic accused diverting. Least suspect black-balling you ; it might be someone you least suspect doing reference checks, are... Not violate any labor laws- they just did n't hire you hire you to avoid press. Classifies substances based on how falsely accused of diverting drugs are in transit or exchanging hands, outside of the closed loop paramedic of. Cichon cautions that some hospitals hoping to avoid bad press and DEA scrutiny may look loopholes. Be fined if it does not comply financial gain, there are many reasons why pharmacists or. You to have the full story are they calling is widespread but rarely discussed experts. I moved to another state and got an RN job at a Drs office the suspect should involved... Are doing falsely accused of diverting drugs checks, who are they calling Peds, Rehab, Clinical are... Lifting patients were not finding it, he says diversion because medications can not be the case if you only. Rehab, Clinical bending over or something often at the discretion of their witnesses, and is! Patient needs medication, a nurse goes to the act except for Active! Tuesday, 04 August 2015 hold onto it until they need it in...
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