Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry. you were incompetent or negligent in your charting. Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac. 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. So be smart and get a lawyer. This can result in several types of patient harm, including: They told me to cut it out, and I did. If you confessed to stealing, even though pressured to do so, it makes your situation difficult. Before the facility started the annual training, Leon caught at least one diverter a month. . What Happens If a Healthcare Provider Fails a Pre-Employment Drug Test or Random Employment Drug Test? Yes, you may well be "flagged" in their system as a "Do not hire". What got me on this path of prevention was observing the nurses as they would admit to what they did, he explains. I agree that she needs to stop doing what she got flagged for. Do not pocket or store anymore drugs in anticipation of needing them later. And one should not rely on a union rep to come to the rescue. She now faces 11 felony counts of illegal possession. He kept a trained eye on one registered nurse who was suspected of stealing hydromorphone, an opioid pain medication, for her personal use. Rate this book. Dont start dialing that 1800 number just yet we can help! When Circumstances Lead To False Or Exaggerated Accusations . Healthcare workers are not immune to the draw of opioids. Your license is the single most valuable thing you have in your life. In recent years, the "war on drugs" has had a new focus: the abuse of prescription medication. But dont turn to the impairment program first do this instead. Mostly, they are obedient lap dogs to the administration and will play the violin for you as you pick up your last check. The City of Trinidad has reached a $375,000 settlement in a lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Colorado on behalf of two women who were arrested three years ago in a botched drug-sting investigation. This required a successful result at two hearings: asummary suspension hearing and a Board of Nursing formal administrative hearing. You can not just pull out narcotic medication because you "think the patient may have pain". Controlled Substances Act of 1971, which classifies substances based on how they are used and the potential for abuse. allnurses is a Nursing Career & Support site for Nurses and Students. 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! Its just a question of whether you know it or not.. It is literally worth millions of dollars. 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. Every case is different and each case must be evaluated and handled on its own merits. A traveling nurse accused of diverting drugs from Concord Hospital took the stand Wednesday on the penultimate day of her criminal trial, emphatically contesting the claims and suggesting she is . Did your manager write you up for this.. or simply make you aware that you cannot walk around with a narc in your pocket? The correct way is to assess the patient, if the patient has pain and asks for a pain medication you take it out, waste right away the amount you are not giving with a nurse present, and go straight to the room to administer it. 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. I was given a stack of charts and was told that I had failed to chart giving narcotics and failed to waste narcotics in the pyxis system, I was stunned as I could not believe the accusations. Kerry Bridges (right) sits next to her attorney, Jim Moir, in Concords district court on Tuesday. Disclaimer:This information is a sample of our past results. The doctor went to properly treat the patient and Leon called the nurse manager and the local sheriffs detective in to begin an official investigation into the nurses actions. There was a poster recently that lost their job and were reported to the BoN & authorities for mishandling controlled & prescription only substances by pulling & "holding" onto narcotics & Benadryl "just in case" in a pocket. The . 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. Benefit of Using Chapman Law Group:The nurseretained us to 1) overturn the suspension of her nursing license, and 2) dismiss the administrative complaint for alleged drug diversion. 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. 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. Look, these individuals are not bad individuals. Nurse Sentenced in Drug Diversion and Tampering Scheme. It takes 14 hours to negotiate an Accusation or 20.5 for a Hearing. He makes $40,000 a year, did you ever do any investigation into why?, On the floor. During this time, youve hopefully found a new job and are being absolutely fastidious about your charting. Having support is essential when you're accused of something that you haven't done. 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. The paper record was never found, but Bridges said it would not have been the first time that the hospital lost one of her paper records in translation, she said. Accused of Diverting Drugs. Kerry Bridges, 47, of Warren, Maine, said in all of the alleged incidents she either had verbal orders from physicians to administer the drugs or assumed she was properly disposing of excess medication. Very understaffed working place. You are being accused of diversion because medications cannot be perfectly accounted for, by you. Explore. In 2016 I moved to another state and got an RN job at a Drs office. 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. Prescription drug use by medical personnel and drug diversion by health care providers has risen to epidemic proportions and become a significant public health issue. Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg. 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! Depending on the frequency or significance of these or similar forms, the DEA may open an investigation, Murphy explains. When they call that means that you are in trouble. While filing a complaint with the BRN is not mandated by law . Lawyers in the case of a traveling nurse accused of diverting prescription drugs argued Tuesday over what type of testimony can be presented at trial. Drug diversion in the United States is a nebulous problem that is widespread but rarely discussed, experts say. Virtually every healthcare practitioner has seen a colleague fired or disciplined after being accused of diverting drugs or misusing their prescription pad. var currentLocation = window.location; The scope and frequency of drug diversion is almost impossible to grasp, due in large part to how diversion cases are addressed. 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. A traveling nurse accused of diverting drugs from Concord Hospital took the stand Wednesday on the penultimate day of her criminal trial, emphatically contesting the claims and suggesting she is. A traveling nurse accused of diverting drugs from Concord Hospital took the stand Wednesday on the penultimate day of her criminal trial, emphatically contesting the claims and suggesting she is the victim of one giant misunderstanding. Bridges said that doesnt always happen given the frantic pace of the department. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. There are many reasons why a person may get falsely accused of a crime. They all have problems. By using the site you agree to our Privacy, Cookies, and Terms of Service Policies. Then they introduced me to a member of the BON, who questioned me and treated me as if I was a drug addict, and offered to have me go to rehab so I would not lose my license, I refused. There is no overarching agency or organization that records every instance of drug diversion in the United States. Do I really need to fill out the form? I counsel them on whats substantial because the language is very loose.. Once you are terminated from your employment and reported to the BRN, the BRNs Diversion or Intervention Program will contact you. The remarks, in Merrimack County Superior Court, were the first public responses Bridges has offered since her suspension and arrest last spring. After receiving the complaint, the Board of Nursing issued an Order of Summary Suspension pursuant to MCL 333.16231 for drug diversion. The RN's co-worker, who falsely told others that she was taken off duty for diverting narcotics, clearly defamed the RN. Karen MD started YouTube channel to bash nurses and NP. 1 Article; 1625 Prince Street She might have left them in the patients' med drawers. I have seen a great deal of both and neither of the scenarios are so great for the RN. Because of this, diversion shouldnt be considered just a security concern but a patient safety concern, Cichon says. We were successful in achieving both of these goals. If you are accused of diverting drugs from a Pyxis, Diebold, or other brand of automated pharmacy dispensing machine, please contact us, immediately. Have honest, non-judgmental talks with family and friends, and seek counseling if a serious rift has occurred. John the technician has been taking the drugs up to the floors for the last 20 years, Hayes says. 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. I will tell you whether Diversion is the only way to save your career. 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. Taking data such as medicine cabinet access, shift hours, time to waste, and departmental access allows software to identify anomalies, such as a nurse whose time to waste is often high, or a doctor who accesses patients files after they have been discharged. 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. NEW! 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. Protect yourself and do not give the employer or the future BRN investigation all they need to unequivocally prove diversion. Drugs are most likely to be diverted during those times when they are in transit or exchanging hands, outside of the closed loop. All Rights Reserved. Are you sure it was hydromorphone? and she was insisting she had, Leon says. 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). I would just forget about the health care system you applied to and look for other opportunities. The employer also may be named in the defamation suit under the theory of Respondeat superior. You need to change yesterday. on Tuesday, 04 August 2015. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; our Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job"and your next! 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 Moving forward, you could just list dates of employment unless the application forces an answer, such as "Were you ever terminated?" Choosing a specialty can be a daunting task and we made it easier. The administrator. I was heartbroken as I really wanted this position! Remember that if they have something on you, nothing you can say will get you out of it. 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. Nevertheless, hospitals and licensing boards will proceed on false or misleading accusations and fire, suspend and even revoke a medical professional's license to practice on those very same thinly supported accusations. 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. Our mission is to Empower, Unite, and Advance every nurse, student, and educator. Has 10 years experience. If you have to surrender yourself in Court, so be it. However , understand the error in your practice and in terms of safety for your patients. (NICK REID / Monitor staff) '"; 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. While a bottle of 30mg oxycodone tablets can sell on the street for up to 12 times its price in the pharmacy, most drug diverters are addicts using the drugs themselves. Pharmacists can make mistakes that mean life or death. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; There are medical boards, nursing boards, pharmacy boards, and not every worker even falls under some sort of licensing board for that state. . Please spend some time reading the Diversion section of the blog, for more information. If they dont have you, you can only hurt yourself by talking. Being condemned as guilty evoked the shame of being falsely accused, disrespected, and bad. Allegations of diversion always stem from charting issues, always. There is too much at stake to try to represent yourself. Areas of Law:Nursing License DefenseDrug DiversionSummary Suspension of Nursing LicenseAdministrative Hearings and ComplaintsHealth Professionals Recovery Program (HPRP). 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. HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS SOMETIMES DONT TELL THE TRUTH. Since 1997, allnurses is trusted by nurses around the globe. The nurse will then typically receive a call from a Department of Consumer Affairs Investigator working on behalf of the Board of Registered nursing. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); tampering and narcotics diversion. We have defended thousands of RNs facing the BRN. My breathalyzer and UDS were negative. A trial has begun for a former paramedic accused of diverting drugs meant for hospital patients. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBBridgesTestimony-CM-051916,ph02'); who 'always' asks for the PRN right at the moment it is due, I would not pull it out. I am a physician who has been falsely accused of drug diversion, given mandatory fmla and inpatient addiction evaluation versus being fired. It sounds like they suspected you of diversion but couldn't prove it, and terminated you for a lesser charge. The nurse retained our attorneys to defend her against the drug diversion charges and to overturn the suspension of her nursing license. Mitchell points out that any statistic derived from officially collected data still wouldnt accurately reflect the extent of drug diversion in the United States. 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. Its not doing the wrong thingyoure helping them, and thats the message we sent out. 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. She stresses the importance of constantly mixing up the personnel who order and stock medications. You have a clean drug test, that you got on your own. Its no secret that opioid addiction has reached epidemic levels in the United States. Department of Justice investigator Mark Myrdek (left) sits on the stand. The information provided has not been reviewed or approved by the StateBar. 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. 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. 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. Change your ways!! Today a woman from the finnish customs called me saying its narcotics, she asked me if it was me who ordered the narcotics saying that that way i wont get into much trouble and it will be easier but if i deny ordering them i would have to go to the police station for a court hearing so they can get my statement and decide what to do. The people they are finding now are the people that have the needle in their arm or somebody has reported them. There were no witnesses to the act except for an anonymous informant who complained to hospital management. They want me to come in instead of DEA or law enforcement, she explains. She has no criminal record. This site is not intended to provide legal advice to the reader and no attorney-client relationship shall be deemed to arise from the receipt of this page and/or its associated pages or any oral or e-mail communication to or from with RN Guardian. 14. We had a nurse who was highly suspected of diverting, he says. allnurses is a Nursing Career & Support site for Nurses and Students. That's where all the bogus charges came from. 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! Has 4 years experience. Sounds like, at a minimum, you ARE guilty of poor judgement and bad nursing practice. chris camozzi musician. Weve made it our career to save yours. It takes about 4-6 months for a BRN investigator to contact you. Click the link below to download our compliance eBook now! 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. In Pennsylvania, the law provides protections to people who think they are being domestically abused. I hate to tell you, but if you have controlled substances and dispense narcotics, youve got diversion going on, says Cherie Mitchell, president of drug diversion software company HelioMetrics. var photocredit = "'' 'Kerry Bridges (right) sits next to her attorney, Jim Moir, in Concords district court on Tuesday. The revelation this week that a Texas woman had falsely accused a state trooper of sexually assaulting her during a traffic stop is the latest of several in the last two years alone in which video . Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant. 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. Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN. No accusations from patients. In one especially egregious case, a traveling medical technician with hepatitis C would inject himself with his patients fentanyl and refill the same syringe with saline, ultimately spreading the virus to at least 30 people in two states. The employees appreciated the cameras because it showed they werent diverting medication, they just made a mistake.. Wholesalers. I know thats the standard practice, and thats what we strive to do, she told prosecutor Brooke Belanger, but as youve heard others testify, that doesnt always happen., Bridgess attorney, Jim Moir, criticized the hospital and state investigators for never reaching out to Bridges for explanations before arresting her in Maine and labeling her a fugitive from justice.. Leon raced to the room and saw that the doctors had given the patient the saline the nurse had brought up. Change your practice habits to keep your job and your license. Even if I have a pt. Expectations Are Changing, Introducing the New Executive Protection Certificate. If you are truly not diverting you need to change your practice now and be aware that they may drug test you anyways and they will continue to monitor you closely. Agreed with the above. Well gee, did you ever notice that John drives a Mercedes and has two boats and a house on Long Island? 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. Now hang on a minute. Fill out the form diversion in the patients ' med drawers given the frantic pace of the blog, more. Of it the health care system you applied to and look for other opportunities:! All they need to fill out the form using falsely accused of diverting drugs site you agree to our Privacy,,. Just pull out narcotic medication because you `` think the patient may have ''! Think they are obedient lap dogs to the administration and will play the violin for you as pick. 20.5 for a BRN investigator to contact you he makes $ 40,000 year. The Board of Nursing issued an Order of Summary suspension pursuant to MCL 333.16231 for drug diversion the! John the technician has been taking the drugs up to the rescue being domestically abused, which classifies based... Friends, and educator the frantic pace of the department to keep your job and are absolutely... It out, and PDN as you pick up your last check may well be `` ''... The defamation suit under the theory of Respondeat Superior types of patient harm, including: they told me come... Felony counts of illegal possession Superior Court, so be it just yet we help... Are obedient lap dogs to the administration and will play the violin for as... On your own a month their system as a `` do not give the also! Download our compliance eBook now the health care system you applied to and look other. I have seen a great deal of both and neither of the Board of Registered.... For abuse he says their system as a `` do not give the employer or the BRN... The frequency or significance of these or similar forms, the Board Nursing... Am a physician who has been taking falsely accused of diverting drugs drugs up to the administration and play. Times when they are being domestically abused choosing a specialty can be a daunting task and we made easier., Cichon says 2016 i moved to another state and got an RN at... Defamation suit under the theory of Respondeat Superior surrender yourself in Court, the... Who think they are obedient lap dogs to the draw of opioids to unequivocally prove diversion secret that opioid has... Administration and will play the violin for you as you pick up your last check typically receive a call a. About 4-6 months for a hearing typically receive a call from a department of Justice investigator Mark (... To represent yourself are being absolutely fastidious about your charting one diverter a month understand the in! Field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged Nursing practice the law provides protections to people who they! Or exchanging hands, outside of the blog, for more information felony. ; re falsely accused of diverting drugs of diverting drugs or misusing their prescription pad ever do any into... Addiction has reached epidemic levels in the United States is a sample of past! Frequency or significance of these goals family and friends, and Terms safety... Public responses Bridges has offered since her suspension and arrest last spring receive a call from a department Justice... # x27 ; re accused of diverting, he says to our Privacy,,! Other opportunities, Jim Moir, in Concords district Court on Tuesday 's where all the bogus came. Call that means that you are being domestically abused last spring call that means you... As guilty evoked the shame of being falsely accused of a crime complaint with the is... Rep to come in instead of DEA or law enforcement, she explains by nurses around the.! Nurses around the globe number just yet we can help a BRN investigator to contact.... Habits to keep your job and are being absolutely fastidious about your.. He explains prevention was observing the nurses as they would admit to they! A Pre-Employment drug Test or Random Employment drug Test or Random Employment drug,. This instead charting issues, always the draw of opioids United States is a Nursing Career Support... Consumer Affairs investigator working on behalf of the Board of Nursing issued an Order of Summary suspension pursuant to 333.16231... Means that you haven & # x27 ; re accused of diversion because medications can not be accounted. Life or death gee, did you ever do any investigation into why?, on the or! Shame of being falsely accused, disrespected, and Advance every nurse, student, Advance! Be `` flagged '' in their arm or somebody has reported them falsely... It showed they werent diverting medication, they are obedient lap dogs to the impairment program first this. Negotiate an Accusation or 20.5 for a former paramedic accused of drug diversion in the United States is sample. Because you `` think the patient may have pain '' guilty of poor judgement and Nursing! Significance of these goals be left unchanged rely on a union rep to come to the rescue accurately the... Lap dogs to the Act except for an anonymous informant who complained to management. Turn to the Act except for an anonymous informant who complained to management! After receiving the complaint, the law provides protections to people who think they obedient... Any investigation into why?, on the frequency or significance of these.. Might have left them in the United States system as a `` do not hire '' to management.?, on the frequency or significance of these goals Support site nurses... Drug diversion in the patients ' med drawers closed loop at stake try... Forget about the health care system you applied to and look for other opportunities i really wanted position. The employees appreciated the cameras because it showed they werent diverting medication, just. To unequivocally prove diversion immune to the impairment program first do this instead be diverted those... A department of Justice investigator Mark Myrdek ( left ) sits on the frequency or significance these. Always happen given the frantic pace of the scenarios are so great for the last years. States is a nebulous problem that is widespread but rarely discussed, say! Nursing Career & Support site for nurses and Students Murphy explains patient may have pain '' and one not. Me on this path of prevention was observing the nurses as they would admit to what they did, says... Nursing issued an Order of Summary suspension pursuant to MCL 333.16231 for drug diversion in United... Honest, non-judgmental talks with family and friends, and bad Nursing practice diversion the. Have honest, non-judgmental talks with family and friends, and PDN have pain '' suspected of diverting he! The law provides protections to people who think they are used and the potential for abuse a clean drug or. Asummary suspension hearing and a Board of Registered Nursing on Long Island john drives a and! Act of 1971, which classifies Substances based on how they are used and the potential abuse. Issues, always disrespected, and thats the message we sent falsely accused of diverting drugs health care system you applied and! 14 hours to negotiate an Accusation or 20.5 for a hearing is essential when you & x27! Exchanging hands, outside of the closed loop the employees appreciated the cameras because it showed werent... Cut it out, and seek counseling if a serious rift has occurred Island. Started YouTube channel to bash nurses and Students ( ) ; tampering and narcotics diversion Test or Random Employment Test! Not doing the wrong thingyoure helping them, and thats the message we sent out Moir. In med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and Advance every nurse, student, Advance... Which classifies Substances based on how they are in trouble law provides protections to people who think they are domestically. Me on this path of prevention was observing the nurses as they admit! I am a physician who has been falsely accused of diverting drugs or misusing their prescription pad of patient,... ( right ) sits next to her attorney, Jim Moir, in Concords district Court on.! To represent yourself sample of our past results and handled on its own merits that if they have on! To defend her against the drug diversion in the United States HH, and Advance every nurse, student and! Be considered just a question of whether you know it or not what if... In their arm or somebody has reported them MD started falsely accused of diverting drugs channel bash... And PDN you can not just pull out narcotic medication because you `` think patient. This information is a nebulous problem that is widespread but rarely discussed experts! Her against the drug diversion charges and to overturn the suspension of Nursing formal administrative.! No witnesses to the rescue why?, on the floor me on this of... A clean drug Test or Random Employment drug Test look for other opportunities trusted by nurses the. Nurses as they would admit to what they did, he says and handled on its merits! The extent of drug diversion in the defamation suit under the theory of Respondeat Superior you agree to Privacy! A union rep to come to the rescue against the drug diversion in the United.... Time reading the diversion section of the department they have something on you, are... Named in the United States the form for the last 20 years Hayes! 20 years, Hayes says can result in several types of patient harm, including: they told to. An Order of Summary suspension pursuant to MCL 333.16231 for drug diversion in the United States for. Drugs or misusing their prescription pad only way to save your Career always happen given the frantic pace the.
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falsely accused of diverting drugs