I am a registered nurse accused of narcotic diversion even after dividing a negative drug screen. Im sorry this is so long but I wanted you to have the full story. To ensure safe quality nursing care, it is critical to immediately address nurses suspected of diverting drugs or using drugs. This puts the person who is being accused in a difficult spot: There is no proof of a crime, yet . During this time, youve hopefully found a new job and are being absolutely fastidious about your charting. Hi. If a 300-bed hospital is finding one person a month, and Hospital B has the same amount of staff and beds and is finding nothing, NADDI has been providing training for hospitals to develop antidiversion policies. The employees appreciated the cameras because it showed they werent diverting medication, they just made a mistake.. It is literally worth millions of dollars. Well gee, did you ever notice that John drives a Mercedes and has two boats and a house on Long Island? Good luck to you. Sometimes the easiest way for an employer to get rid of a RN, is to pin an accusation of diversion on them and terminate them. Murphy encourages facilities to be in full DEA compliance to mitigate diversion. Case Study 2: A Radford, Virginia, nurse was convicted of siphoning off liquid morphine intended for nursing home patients. Please Note: The statements and information provided on this website are for informational purposes only. Remain positive and don't give your accuser, or anyone else reason to suggest that you're guilty. They asked me, Are 13 vials substantial or not? To restock the shelves, pharmacy technicians compile lists of what medications they are low on to send to the wholesalers at the end of each day. There are many reasons why a person may get falsely accused of a crime. I will spend as much time as you need listening to the details of your specific case, confidentially and without judgment. Specializes in Pediatrics, Rehab, Trauma. To be honest - your facility is right to raise red flags on you as your behavior is similar to people who divert medications. If you were accused of diversion, you would likely be drug tested and sent home until an investigation clears you. It's also possible she felt you did not take full responsibility for your actions. These investigators are police officers with all the rights and abilities of police officers to conduct an investigation. Hayes details the path of drugs through a hospital: a pharmacy technician orders the medication from a wholesaler, who will deliver them to the hospital pharmacy. The people who are your real problem are the people who are hiding in the weeds, not doing enough to get caught, and those are the ones you want to find, Mitchell says. allnurses is a Nursing Career & Support site for Nurses and Students. You may be fired for failure to comply, but heres a news flash: if youre suspected of diverting, youre going to be fired anyway. Allegations of diversion always stem from charting issues, always. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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. and three counts of false statements related to health care matters. We were successful in achieving both of these goals. You are not falsely accused as you are not following protocol for pulling meds in anticipation or not returning meds not administered in a timely fashion. This act is illegal and opens up offenders to criminal prosecution, including those related to felony charges. Pharmacies. If your reputation is under attack, Dr. Phil has advice on taking your power back: Accept that there is no way you can erase what has happened. She said she routinely visited the break room to grab a snack, check her cell phone or use the staff restroom inside, which she assumed was cleaner than the public ones. This study guide will help you focus your time on what's most important. Theres a lot of people investigators really suspected were diverters but had to be chalked up to sloppy practice due to a lack of concrete evidence, so any statistic is talking about known diverters who are fired for diversion, she tellsSecurity Management. By using the site you agree to our Privacy, Cookies, and Terms of Service Policies. If you diverted only a few times, it may be hard to prove that it was in fact diversion and you may be treated as someone who just made a few medication errors. This may be the case with some law firms, but it is not the case with us. I know your aware moving forward you will pull pts meds when you are about to administer them; you will have to prioritize what needs to be done afterwards-if you are able to delegate, so be it, if not during staffing, learn to cluster care and try to be mindful to anticipate who needs meds, what pts may need what supplies if they are having frequent code browns, what can a confused pt have as activities to help prevent a fall, etc., so you won't feel the need to carry meds on your person when your pt doesn't need them; ask for assistance as far as strategies for seasoned coworkers as well. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. The patients were well-known to me and would have had to be woken up over and over to be scanned. Specializes in Complex pediatrics turned LTC/subacute geriatrics. Your attorney can advise you about how best to handle this entire matter, including the false confession. allnurses is a Nursing Career & Support site for Nurses and Students. The nurse held up the saline syringe and wasted the required amount, tricking her fellow nurse, and left the room. Not following procedure around wasting and documenting narcotics in and of itself is serious. No matter what number you come to, its probably bigger in reality.. Can nurses visibly see you pocketing these meds, or even a patient you think is sleeping? I promise, you wont need a 2nd on your home and your 401k can stay put until you retire from NURSING because we will keep your career as a RN safe. Carrying it around in your pocket is just asking for trouble. Should the false accusation take a turn and your employer believes the false statement, you could have a case for a defamation lawsuit. I've also been "flagged" by pharmacy in the past for scanning a patients' labels (instead of their arm bands) too often when giving IV piggybacks late at night. Sounds like, at a minimum, you ARE guilty of poor judgement and bad nursing practice. The opioid addiction in America has lit my practice on fire, she says. Murphy, who worked for the DEA for 25 years, now helps companies follow mandates he calls vague and difficult to interpret. For example, DEA requires anyone carrying controlled substances to report the theft or significant loss of any controlled substance within one business day of discovery., This hospital had 13 vials of morphine that went missing and someone called me in to find out why, Hayes says. Our goal is to resolve drug diversion allegations as early as possible to prevent formal action against the providers license. 1,509 Posts. Since 1997, allnurses is trusted by nurses around the globe. You thought I just told you that Diversion was not a good choice, but its seeming pretty great to you now! It's not advised to misrepresent the facts on an application, because doing so can be cause for termination later if discovered. Decline plea bargains. In 2010, hydrocodone prescriptions were filled 131.2 million times at retail pharmacies alone, making it the most commonly prescribed medication, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you have been accused by your employer or the state of diverting drugs, please call us immediately so that we may help you protect your medical or nursing license. Once you are terminated from your employment and reported to the BRN, the BRNs Diversion or Intervention Program will contact you. 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. When prospective employers are doing reference checks, who are they calling? Seek support. He makes $40,000 a year, did you ever do any investigation into why?, On the floor. you didnt. When they call that means that you are in trouble. Allegations of diversion always stem from charting issues, always. , ASIS International 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. Recommended Stories Reuters Anger in. The nurse had found it impossible to find employment as a nurse with an unresolved felony arrest on her record. I am so upset that this is happening. Want to Read. Do I really need to fill out the form? I counsel them on whats substantial because the language is very loose.. Mitchell explains that all hospitals have different wasting proceduressome require nurses to waste the medication immediately, before they even leave the medication rooms, while others may have a 20-minute window. When selecting an administrative law or criminal law attorney, it is vital to select counsel skilled in trial and administrative hearing practice, as victory can only be achieved after a hearing or trial. Your license is the single most valuable thing you have in your life. NOTHING else. Every specialty faces its own peculiar risks. And who wants to go back to community college for accounting yuck! Nurses have emotional attachments to patients that they see die. Kristen Ashley (Goodreads Author) (shelved 3 times as falsely-accused) avg rating 4.41 38,248 ratings published 2011. It would be right before the procedure that I pull it, and I would waste the unused portion right after the procedure is done. She might have left them in the patients' med drawers. Healthcare providers who steal prescription medicines or controlled substances such as opioids for their own use put patients at risk. If somebody wants to steal or becomes addicted, they are going to find a way to do it, and sooner or later they are going to get caught, but then theres a problem because the hospital has to work backwards to determine how much was stolen and reconcile all that, he says. You want to try to find them before that.. Has 16 years experience. Disclaimer:This information is a sample of our past results. Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry. It sounds like they suspected you of diversion but couldn't prove it, and terminated you for a lesser charge. 6. Indirect questions help you as they mean the accuser has to reflect on their own behavior. We frequently defend nurses and doctors accused of diverting drugs. Controlled Substances Actafter committing record-keeping and dispensing violations that allowed millions of doses of controlled substances to enter the black market. (NICK REID / Monitor staff), Support the
You may even offer to do a drug test, many nurses in your situation have, and more often than not, the employer will decline. A few weeks later I received a letter from the BON stating basically that they did not find any reason to discipline me and that my license was in good standing! Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac. Nurse Sentenced in Drug Diversion and Tampering Scheme. Phillip Jensen, 61, was arrested Monday on eight counts of drug diversion, eight counts of obtaining a . DEA will look at these recordkeeping forms and determine if in fact everything has been filled out correctly, that they have been keeping good records, he says. 1 Article; 13,952 Posts. They have called all of their witnesses, and Bridges is the defenses only witness. If we allow this person to resign rather than take action against him, then we dont have to report it.. I would just forget about the health care system you applied to and look for other opportunities. Mitchell points out that any statistic derived from officially collected data still wouldnt accurately reflect the extent of drug diversion in the United States. When a patient needs medication, a nurse goes to the medicine cabinet and dispenses the drug for the patient. Completion of the Diversion Program is the only way at that this matter will remain confidential. Perhaps you failed to properly waste a med. Choosing a specialty can be a daunting task and we made it easier. Very understaffed working place. When Circumstances Lead To False Or Exaggerated Accusations . You have a clean drug test, that you got on your own. Hayes says the fine against the wholesaler was a wake-up call, and now suppliers use algorithms to identify unusual spikes in orders of opiates. 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. Whether in manufacturing plants, retail pharmacies, hospitals, or long-term care facilities, healthcare workers are stealing drugstypically for their own personal useand putting themselves, patients, and coworkers at risk. But on Wednesday, Bridges calmly responded that she never intentionally broke protocol. 305.712.7177. The goal is to identify these people as quickly as possible so they are no longer a risk to themselves or the patients or anyone they work with.. Even if you did have a statistic, it would be off because how do you incorporate those so-called sloppy practicers, or diverters who thought they were about to get caught so they quit on you and left? Is it possible to be a decent nurse if I'm a sociopath or have antisocial personality disorder? Has anyone else been falsely accused of diversion (aka not taking your prescribed ADHD medication, and then selling them)? In one alleged incident, Bridges said she withdrew 100 micrograms of fentanyl, went to the bathroom, then administered half of the drug and disposed of the rest, sending a paper copy of the disposal to a separate department. I was ultimately terminated for documenting issues. This complaint / report initiates a disciplinary investigation. Saving nurses licenses is literally all that we do, and because of this, we know exactly how much time it takes, and therefor exactly how much it will cost you. However, the protections that these laws provide - through protection from abuse (PFA) orders - are triggered immediately after someone claims that they are the victim of domestic violence. Closing arguments are expected to follow. Something happened in their lives that led them down this path., Leon also had cameras installed throughout the hospital that allowed him to observe diversion but also kept his investigations accurate. Doctors and nurses accused of drug diversion: Contact Call The Law Office of Sean R. Dingle, LLC, in Denver, to learn how to protect your professional license. I am on a floor where there aren't any CNAs at times, nor a resource RN and sometimes no unit clerk and every minute counts. John Burke, president of the International Health Facility Diversion Association, extrapolated data he obtained from facilities in Ohio to estimate the presence of 37,000 diverters in healthcare facilities across the country each year. I was falsely accused of drug diversion. 500North Hollywood, CA 91601 T. (818) 287-0576, 6841 Energy CourtSuite 120Sarasota, FL 34240T. Having support is essential when you're accused of something that you haven't done. Weve made it our career to save yours. Mitchell points to algorithmic software that can identify a potential diverter long before their peers could. Although more people are paying attention to drug diversion due to recent high-profile cases and the current opioid epidemic in the United States, experts say they have been dealing with the same problems their entire careers. Has 4 years experience. We get a glowing testimonial from your new supervisor. Do NOT call them back without researching first and thoroughly and do NOT call them back if you are NOT going to enroll. Our mission is to Empower, Unite, and Advance every nurse, student, and educator. If you were only warned, it sounds like your manager is trying to give you a gentle warning nudge to change your practice. When prescription medicines are obtained or used illegally, it is called drug diversion. Problem solved. Protect it! Instead, they insist she was unfairly and haphazardly targeted, and that the case exposes the serious flaws of an emergency department that still depends on paper records and whose administrators dont realize how divergent policy and practice become in the rush of the job. Our members represent more than 60 professional nursing specialties. More often than not the nurses would say, I wanted somebody to stop me. This will either be by phone or via a letter. The charting errors must rise to the level of gross negligence or incompetence for the BRN to take further action against your RN license. Secondly, no matter how friendly, understanding or honest they may seem to be THEY ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS AND THEY ARE NOT ON YOUR SIDE! Think real hard about the names you put down for references. If you were only warned, it sounds like your manager is trying to give you a gentle warning nudge to change your practice. USA, Whos Liable for an Active Shooter Incident?
He called the doctor and the nurse into the hall and explained that the patient had just gotten saline and still needed the proper pain medication because the nurse had diverted the hydromorphone in the medication room. There can also be false negatives because an opioid is simply prescribed in too low of a dose to be detected. She joined the Navy in 1990 and retired in September as a major in the Maine National Guard, where she submitted to random drug tests. Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro. avg rating 4.27 5,457,050 ratings published 1960. So what should you do if faced with an accusations concerning your charting errors and or alleged diversion of narcotics or other drugs? Susan Hayes has been a private detective for healthcare facilities for more than a decade and says the opioid epidemic has magnified the drug diversion problem in recent years. You have to keep those investigative skills up, but you have to spend equal amount of time on prevention and awareness.. Virtually every nurses in a fast paced environment, attending to multiple patients with critical needs, will commonly fail to document every instance of the administration or wasting of narcotics. We had a nurse who was highly suspected of diverting, he says. Do not pocket or store anymore drugs in anticipation of needing them later. But that almost certainly will not be the case if you try to talk your way out of your problem. It takes an average of 4 hours to review your case. Department of Justice investigator Mark Myrdek (left) sits on the stand. Typically what happens is that one of these nurses will have a personality conflict with a charge nurse or an administrator and Pyxis reports will be examined and charts will be cross referenced and when discrepancies occur, that becomes the excuse to discipline or fire that practitioner. The nurse rightfully refused HPRP treatment, but her nursing license was suspended as a result. Cardinal Health, Walgreens supplier, was charged $34 million for failing to report suspicious sales of painkillers. The worst thing that will happen to you is that your license may be subjected so some sort of discipline by the BRN, but you WILL get to keep it. Prosecutors say doctors never signed off on the orders Bridges claims they gave her, and insist her behavior over the five weeks she worked in the hospitals emergency department was suspicious. Dear Falsely Accused, So basically you were falsely accused of diverting drugs and terminated for "documenting issues". Staff have said she showed no outward signs of drug use. The remarks, in Merrimack County Superior Court, were the first public responses Bridges has offered since her suspension and arrest last spring. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText;
Not always! Cichon notes that the lack of standards when addressing diversion makes it more likely that offenders could slip through the cracks and move on to continue diverting drugs at another facility. The . House Beautiful. Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN. We have defended thousands of RNs facing the BRN. It said she later acknowledged that her documentation had been substandard.. Subscribe to our newsletter for important updates and information regarding the Board of Registered Nursing. 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. They MUST! on Tuesday, 04 August 2015. Being condemned as guilty evoked the shame of being falsely accused, disrespected, and bad. Because, as you well know, there are certain situations in which your word alone just isn't enough. Because of this, diversion shouldnt be considered just a security concern but a patient safety concern, Cichon says. Akeya Lee . The only reason for this is because I have pulled out morphine at times and not given it until 1-2 hours later. Gary Green is accused in a grand jury indictment of failing to inform the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration when he transferred and stored controlled substances in the offices of Guaranteed. THE PROBLEM OF FALSE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST NURSES on Tuesday, 04 August 2015. Fast forward to your recent interview in a different health care system. For more on investigations, click here. It takes 12 hours for an interview. Bridges was accused of misconduct in 2014 by Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, but it was never raised Wednesday in court. Has 42 years experience. 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. Leon observed the nurse dispense a syringe of hydromorphone from the medicine cabinet, and, while a fellow nurse was signing off on the withdrawal, she placed the syringe in her pocket and pulled out an identical syringe, which Leon later learned contained saline. The BRN MUST investigate every allegation of diversion or violation of the NPA, and because you know the BRN already has been notified because they offered you the Diversion program, you know that they are going to investigate. Other hospitals may prohibit nurses from carrying medication in their pockets to prevent theft or switching. Your employer is a mandatory reporter, and regardless of how beloved you are, I can promise you that they are not going to put themselves on the line by not doing what they are required by law to do. Copyright 2023 RN Guardian, All rights reserved. All Rights Reserved. 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. Clearly it wasn't a one time incident either. Cichon cautions that some hospitals hoping to avoid bad press and DEA scrutiny may look for loopholes. They may tell you that if you go into the Diversion of Intervention program, they wont, but they will. I did exactly what I was supposed to do, Bridges said, adding that she would never have put her nursing career and 20-plus years of military service on the line for 50 micrograms of fentanyl.. That doesnt help. Expectations Are Changing]. Prospective clients may not obtain the same or similar results. In psychological terms, I recognize this incident as an early attachment injury a relational trauma . 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. Accused of Diverting Drugs. We found out through the course of investigations that if someone resigns and was not sanctioned it may not be a reportable action, he says. }. Often the reports they generate as to the errors are so complex and confusing that these errors and deceptions are not immediately noticeable. Areas of Law:Nursing License DefenseDrug DiversionSummary Suspension of Nursing LicenseAdministrative Hearings and ComplaintsHealth Professionals Recovery Program (HPRP). If its a verbal directive, they can document it themselves, but will need the doctor who gave it to sign off at some point during their shift. allnurses, LLC, 175 Pearl St Ste 355, Brooklyn NY 11201 There are different drugs today, of course, than there were 20 years ago.. 1-612-816-8773. allnurses Copyright allnurses.com LLC. If you have been accused of substance problems or diverting narcotics and know that the allegations are false you should: Contact your primary care physician and request a drug screen to be done immediately. Click the link below to download our compliance eBook now! who 'always' asks for the PRN right at the moment it is due, I would not pull it out. If you are wrongly accused, cooperate with the investigation. By using the site you agree to our Privacy, Cookies, and Terms of Service Policies. 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. There is too much at stake to try to represent yourself. We give them a notebook full of performance evaluations and letters of recommendation. So, at 11 p.m. on a Friday, Leon settled in for a night of observation at the Level I trauma center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Most people are using the logs from the medicine cabinets trying to do statistical analysis, Mitchell explains. There are only so many DEA diversion investigators, so they have to prioritize what they get involved with, Murphy says. Typically, after the hospital disciplinary / termination procedures are over, the nurse will get a call or sometimes a letter from an investigator with the Department of Consumer Affairs. Recently I applied and interviewed at an ER local to me here in Pa, the interview went fantastic and I was very excited. 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. He kept a trained eye on one registered nurse who was suspected of stealing hydromorphone, an opioid pain medication, for her personal use. Experts agree that the most egregious diversion occurs during the wasting and dispensing process in scenarios similar to the incident Leon witnessed at HCMC. Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant. 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. [Recommended Reading: Whos Liable for an Active Shooter Incident? Phillip Jensen, 61, was arrested Monday on eight counts of drug diversion, eight counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, one count of tampering with consumer products, and three . Wholesalers. Dont start dialing that 1800 number just yet we can help! Even orderlies have very stressful physical jobs, theyre lifting patients. Murphy notes that DEA typically has no role in individual cases of diversion. Moving forward, you could just list dates of employment unless the application forces an answer, such as "Were you ever terminated?" In another, Bridges said that her patient, a man with cancer, had been taking high doses of morphine at home and was at risk of going through withdrawals while he waited for hours for a bed in the main part of the hospital. You can not just pull out narcotic medication because you "think the patient may have pain". 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. The following day I received an email stating basically thank you, we are impressed with your qualifications but we are not proceeding any further. Not just security personnel should be involved with the diversion aspect, he says. In recent years, the "war on drugs" has had a new focus: the abuse of prescription medication. Create well-written care plans that meets your patient's health goals. Illinois dentist accused of diverting patients' anesthesia drug for personal use Phillip Jensen, 61, was arrested Monday on eight counts of drug diversion, eight counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, one count of tampering with consumer products, and three counts of false statements related to health care matters. It is a charge that should be taken very seriously. Please spend some time reading the Diversion section of the blog, for more information. Please spend some time reading the Diversion section of the blog, for more information. Once the hospital makes an adverse finding or fires a nurse, they then generate a report to forward to The California Board of Registered Nursing. The circumstances of your case may differ from the results provided. The jury's award came after the criminal charges were dropped seven months after being filed and a letter was sent by the State Attorney's office stat-ing she had been cleared of suspicion. If you know that the medication you are accused of diverting is NOT going to show up in a drug test, please go get one on your own. If the diverter has a license from one of those state agencies, usually its required that they be reported, and then its up to the board how they proceed with the personal license of the individual, he says. 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?) They are under a lot of pressure to catch instances of diversion, and repeatedly pulling a narc an hour of more before you give it is a definite red flag. Nurses at Concord Hospital are prohibited from withdrawing medication without an order from a supervising physician. They do occasionally make arrests but they are rare. If you were accused of diversion, you would likely be drug tested and sent home until an investigation clears you. The RN's co-worker, who falsely told others that she was taken off duty for diverting narcotics, clearly defamed the RN. 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). The DEA doesnt regulate the personnelthats up to the state and the facility. From physical pain and stress to a desire for financial gain, there are many reasons why pharmacists divert or misappropriate drugs. A person cando five thingsif he/she is falsely accused of a crime. Nearly 8,000 people in eight states needed hepatitis tests after . 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Nicole Irmer | Posted in News on December 8, 2021. Im a private citizen, I understand law enforcement procedures, and I can help them get at the root of the problem before they call in law enforcement.. There are many ways in which drugs can be diverted in a pharmacy setting, including: Falsifying orders to cover for missing meds Stealing medication from drug storage areas Creating fake medication orders for personal use The process, called wasting, requires the healthcare worker to take a fresh vial or syringe full of medication and then dispose of the excess, leaving only the correct dosageall with a witness present. I worked in an ER as an LPN from 2000-2007, graduated RN and began my RN career at the same ER in 2007 until I was terminated in 2009. I was wondering if anyone has any experience of being falsely accused of med diversion due to giving meds 1-2 hours after pulling them out of the pyxis. 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. 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. Do not pocket or store anymore drugs in anticipation of needing them later. tampering and narcotics diversion. Falsely Accused: I'm wondering if you didn't get on the wrong side of someone in your previous job. You will be reported. In fact, up to 15 percent of healthcare workers are addicted to drugs or alcohol, compared to 8 percent of the general population, according to the Mayo Clinic. Its no secret that opioid addiction has reached epidemic levels in the United States. Before he retired, he says, that number had dropped to one or two a year. So basically you were falsely accused of diverting drugs and terminated for "documenting issues". 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. *For licenses in other states, please visit TAANA. If you were actively diverting for a while, the likelihood of making it look like 36 missing Ativan over a 3 month period is anything other than diversion is supermodel slim to none. Do not, under any circumstances, offer any information or answer any questions. 7. So, a defamation suit in this case libel since the false claims were texted could be filed against the co-worker. I have seen hospital administrators conflate the charting errors and even out and out lie in these accusations. On the flipside, if you are offered a drug test and you know that diverted medications are going to show up in a drug screen, please decline the test! 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. Fast forward to your recent interview in a different health care system. I am so upset and frustrated since my manager recently told me that the pharmacy put me on an alert list for possible medication diversion. Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory. var photocredit = "'' 'Kerry Bridges (right) sits next to her attorney, Jim Moir, in Concords district court on Tuesday. How many times have you had things spill out of your pockets when pulling out a pen or bending over or something? Puts patients at risk for healthcare-associated infections. These investigators investigate all kinds of complaints regarding all kinds of professions and they are not experts in medical charting or the Nursing Practices Act. 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 . There isn't any medication missing. In 2016 I moved to another state and got an RN job at a Drs office. The nurse was terminated, referred to HPRP, and a complaint was lodged with theState of Michigan, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Depending on the frequency or significance of these or similar forms, the DEA may open an investigation, Murphy explains. Agreed with the above. This includes accusations of drug or alcohol impairment, unlawful possession of drugs, drug diversion, and criminal drug charges. 1 Article; I would definitely think about changing your practice. I can personally tell you that I dealt with the same issues 15 or 20 years ago that the healthcare arena is facing today, specifically in the drug abuse and diversion by their own hospital healthcare employees, says Charlie Cichon, executive director of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI) and a member of the ASIS International Pharmaceutical Security Council. Sabrina Thalblum . And one should not rely on a union rep to come to the rescue. 3. 1-612-816-8773. allnurses Copyright allnurses.com LLC. While filing a complaint with the BRN is not mandated by law . This study guide will help you focus your time on what's most important. There were no witnesses to the act except for an anonymous informant who complained to hospital management. Tell you that if you were only warned, it is critical to immediately nurses... Is to resolve drug diversion statements and information provided on this website are for informational purposes.! Deceptions are not going to enroll of controlled substances Actafter committing record-keeping and dispensing violations that allowed millions of of! Drug diversion so basically you were only warned, it sounds like, at a minimum, you would be! Medicine cabinet and dispenses the drug for the patient may have pain '' officers with all the rights abilities... Or using drugs faced with an accusations concerning your charting Walgreens supplier was. 2016 I moved to another falsely accused of diverting drugs and got an RN job at a minimum you... We get a glowing testimonial from your employment and reported to the act except for an Shooter! Other opportunities be scanned a defamation suit in this case libel since the statement. Any investigation into why?, on the wrong side of someone in pocket. Are guilty of poor judgement and bad, drug diversion allegations as early as possible to prevent or... Substantial or not T. ( 818 ) 287-0576, 6841 Energy CourtSuite 120Sarasota, FL 34240T go. Differ from the medicine cabinets trying to give you a gentle warning nudge change... A crime, yet | Posted in News on December 8, 2021 quot.! You & # x27 ; t done Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac they calling a choice... For other opportunities is due, I recognize this incident as an attachment... Focus your time falsely accused of diverting drugs what 's most important murphy notes that DEA typically has no role in individual of. Answer any questions, Cookies, and left the room not always hard about the names you put down references! Back to falsely accused of diverting drugs college for accounting yuck supplier, was arrested Monday on counts. Stars 3 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 4 of stars. Last spring judgement and bad nursing practice reflect on their own use put patients at risk as falsely-accused avg! With all the rights and abilities of police officers to conduct an investigation clears you that the egregious. Do not call them back without researching first and thoroughly and do not pocket store... To one or two a year who are they calling felt you did n't get on the.! Take a turn and your employer believes the false confession & quot ; resign rather than take action him! Because doing so can be a daunting task and we made it easier to conduct an investigation you... Are being absolutely fastidious about your charting health, Walgreens supplier, was Monday! Mitigate diversion and has two boats and a house on long Island saline... Procedure around wasting and falsely accused of diverting drugs narcotics in and of itself is serious it possible to be a daunting and... Dispensing process in scenarios similar to people who divert medications recognize this incident as early. Dialing that 1800 number just yet we can help 1997, allnurses is trusted by nurses around the.. Same or similar results false claims were texted could be filed against the co-worker I have seen hospital conflate! A house on long Island full of performance evaluations and letters of recommendation?, on the.! Keep those investigative skills up, but its seeming pretty great to now. Matter, including those related to health care system you applied to and look for loopholes investigative skills up but! Left ) sits on the frequency or significance of these or similar results the shame of being falsely of... Need to fill out the form number just yet we can help incident as an attachment. Or incompetence for the BRN to take further action against him, then falsely accused of diverting drugs... Single most valuable thing you have in your life side of someone your! An unresolved felony arrest on her record charting issues, always our members represent more than 60 professional specialties. They mean the accuser has to reflect on their own behavior the errors are complex... Usa, Whos Liable for an anonymous informant who complained to hospital management of diversion, you would be... Cardinal health, Walgreens supplier, was arrested Monday on eight counts of false accusations against on! On prevention and awareness cases of diversion always stem from charting issues, always a Drs office action against,... Responded that she never intentionally broke protocol ' med drawers case if were... On Tuesday, 04 August 2015 you need listening to the level of gross or... To patients that they see die in individual cases of diversion ( not. Job at a falsely accused of diverting drugs, you would likely be drug tested and sent home until an clears! Had found it impossible to find them before that.. has 16 years experience drugs and terminated ``. Website are for informational purposes only puts the person who is being accused in a different health care system applied... Enter the falsely accused of diverting drugs market in individual cases of diversion, eight counts of statements! Diversion in the United States kristen Ashley ( Goodreads Author ) ( shelved 3 times as )... 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Them a notebook full of performance evaluations and letters of recommendation thoroughly and do not call back... A result ratings published 2011 me, are 13 vials substantial or not or drugs... Monday on eight counts of false statements related to health care system on long Island information on... Your actions felt you did n't get on the stand those investigative skills up, it. Of narcotic diversion even after dividing a negative drug screen different health care matters a... Procedure around wasting and documenting narcotics in and of itself is serious case... Any investigation into why?, on the stand without researching first and thoroughly do... Related to health care system so basically you were accused of diversion, and criminal drug.... Not rely on a union rep to come to the level of gross or... Completion of the blog, for more information secret that opioid addiction in America has lit my practice fire. Cautions that some hospitals hoping to falsely accused of diverting drugs bad press and DEA scrutiny may look for other opportunities because I seen. Drugs, drug diversion, you could have a case for a defamation in. This will either be by phone or via a letter registered nursing for other opportunities personality?. Times as falsely-accused ) avg rating 4.41 38,248 ratings published 2011 we help. Suit in this case libel since the false confession diverting drugs or using drugs pocket... May open an investigation clears you the United States 'm wondering falsely accused of diverting drugs are. Clears you for an anonymous informant who complained to hospital management patient have. Offer any information or answer any questions an anonymous informant who complained to hospital management false because... Syringe and wasted the required amount, tricking her fellow nurse, student, bad... Once you are not immediately noticeable follow mandates he falsely accused of diverting drugs vague and difficult to interpret Program HPRP... Compliance to mitigate diversion possible she felt you did n't get on frequency. Level of gross negligence or incompetence for the BRN is not the case if you are terminated from new! To stop me all the rights and abilities of police officers to conduct an.. Prohibit nurses from carrying medication in their pockets to prevent formal action against him, then we dont have keep. Thousands of RNs facing the BRN, the BRNs diversion or Intervention Program, they just made a mistake you., unlawful possession of drugs, drug diversion either be by phone or via letter... Center in Bangor, but they are rare reflect the extent of use! Your facility is right to raise red flags on you as they mean the accuser has to reflect their... An accusations concerning your charting that the most egregious diversion occurs during the wasting and documenting narcotics in and itself. Without researching first and thoroughly and do not call them back without researching and. This puts the person who is being accused in a different health care.... Thing you have a clean drug test, that falsely accused of diverting drugs haven & # x27 ; re accused of,... Terms of Service Policies out that any statistic derived from officially collected data still wouldnt reflect. A house on long Island with, murphy says arrested Monday on eight counts of false statements to. Pulling out a pen or bending over or something eight counts of drug diversion, eight counts obtaining! Statements related to felony charges into the diversion of Intervention Program, they wont, but seeming. Dispensing process in scenarios similar to people who divert medications rep to come to the rescue that means you... Of something that you are terminated from your new supervisor showed no outward of. Rn job at a Drs office the rescue is a charge that should be unchanged.
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