They pull out meds and "hold" them or document as given but take them themselves or take them home. Immediately. Your attorney can advise you about how best to handle this entire matter, including the false confession. The process of investigation and charges can be lengthy and in the overwhelming majority of cases, what starts with a bang ends with a whimper. It takes 12 hours for an interview. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBBridgesTestimony-CM-051916,ph02');
1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. 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. HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS SOMETIMES DONT TELL THE TRUTH. Later . The patients were well-known to me and would have had to be woken up over and over to be scanned. The administrator. It doesn't take long to got to the Pyxis for a med once patient asks for it. But there is no reason to panic. Cichon notes that many hospitals throughout the country have no plan in place to actively look for diverters. 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. The RN's co-worker, who falsely told others that she was taken off duty for diverting narcotics, clearly defamed the RN. Chapman Law Group has a team of attorneys skilled in representing licensed health professionals in state, federal, and administrative courts during trials and administrative hearings. If you have been falsely accused of a crime, you need a lawyer to help plan and present your defense. you were incompetent or negligent in your charting. 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. 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. She has no criminal record. 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. Agreed with the above. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Student Nurse Applicants with Past Convictions, Petition for Nursing License Reinstatement, Please spend some time reading the Diversion section of the blog, for more information. Through the use of aggressive cross-examinations and strategic motions practice, we were able to dismantle the states case of alleged drug diversion and prove that our client was not diverting narcotics, but was in fact falsely accused of drug diversion. It probably would not change anything to contact HR, and they did not violate any labor laws- they just didn't hire you. A pre-employment or random drug test fail could mean your medical or nursing license. The patient was still screaming in pain and the doctor was frantically asking the nurse, Are you sure you got the right dosage? Disclaimer:This information is a sample of our past results. In 2013, retail pharmacy chain Walgreens was charged $80 millionthe largest fine in the history of the U.S. Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development, Freelance Writer. Recommended Stories Reuters Anger in. Healthcare workers are not immune to the draw of opioids. Rather than return the med immediately, I hold onto it until they need it so I am prepared for the next time. 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. 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. South African nurse wants to work in Canada. 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. Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical. Remain positive and don't give your accuser, or anyone else reason to suggest that you're guilty. 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. Posted in Registered Nurses, THE PROBLEM OF FALSE AND MISLEADING ACCUSATIONS AGAINST MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. 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. Our members represent more than 60 professional nursing specialties. Wholesalers. In fact, Moir tried to show jurors Wednesday that there is no reason to believe Bridges has any history of drug use. There are different drugs today, of course, than there were 20 years ago.. Phillip Jensen, 61, was arrested Monday on eight counts of drug diversion, eight counts of obtaining a . HPRP attempted to force the nurse into treatment despite the fact that she did not need it. The explanation you gave about your termination after the interview did not satisfy the nurse manager. Through a series of tough negotiations with the prosecutor and by portraying a strong defensive position, we were successful in dismissing four of the five counts and obtaining diversion pursuant to MCL 333.7411. 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.) Can nurses visibly see you pocketing these meds, or even a patient you think is sleeping? 1-612-816-8773. allnurses Copyright allnurses.com LLC. We are often contacted by nurses falsely accused of diverting narcotics, abusing narcotics, or stealing narcotics from patients. Its not doing the wrong thingyoure helping them, and thats the message we sent out. While prosecutors have outlined the case as clear-cut deception, Bridgess defense insists its anything but. Has 42 years experience. The nurse will then typically receive a call from a Department of Consumer Affairs Investigator working on behalf of the Board of Registered nursing. You are being accused of diversion because medications cannot be perfectly accounted for, by you. Result:After successfully arguing our case, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) promptly dissolved the summary suspension of the clients nursing license that day and delivered a favorable proposal to the Board of Nursing. 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. 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. If you are accused of diverting drugs from a Pyxis, Diebold, or other brand of automated pharmacy dispensing machine, please contact us, immediately. 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. 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. Drugs are most likely to be diverted during those times when they are in transit or exchanging hands, outside of the closed loop. Has 14 years experience. , ASIS International Has anyone else been falsely accused of diversion (aka not taking your prescribed ADHD medication, and then selling them)? It sounds like they suspected you of diversion but couldn't prove it, and terminated you for a lesser charge. If you were only warned, it sounds like your manager is trying to give you a gentle warning nudge to change your practice. When prospective employers are doing reference checks, who are they calling? 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. Due to the stigma of discovering diverters on staff, many hospitals just arent preparing themselves to address the problem proactively, Cichon explains. This is where things can turn ugly for the RN accused of diverting medication, but who didnt. You could lose it, you could accidentally take it home, someone could see you pocket it and report it, etc, etc. Depending on the frequency or significance of these or similar forms, the DEA may open an investigation, Murphy explains. I would just forget about the health care system you applied to and look for other opportunities. Fast forward to your recent interview in a different health care system. 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. I almost immediately received a call from the nurse manager who then asked why I was terminated from my job all those years ago. Drug diversion in the United States is a nebulous problem that is widespread but rarely discussed, experts say. There can also be false negatives because an opioid is simply prescribed in too low of a dose to be detected. And one should not rely on a union rep to come to the rescue. I have seen hospital administrators conflate the charting errors and even out and out lie in these accusations. The nurse had found it impossible to find employment as a nurse with an unresolved felony arrest on her record. What got me on this path of prevention was observing the nurses as they would admit to what they did, he explains. 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They want me to come in instead of DEA or law enforcement, she explains. I work on a really busy floor and I often have pulled out a pain med in expectation that the patient will ask for it, though when I go into their room, they are sleeping or don't want it at that time. The success of our program at HCMC was the fact that we paid more attention to educating rather than investigating, Leon says. There were no witnesses to the act except for an anonymous informant who complained to hospital management.
We had a nurse who was highly suspected of diverting, he says. Please call me if you are reading this post because you are a RN accused of diverting medication. 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. I was falsely accused of drug diversion. Remember that if they have something on you, nothing you can say will get you out of it. Human resources, pharmacy personnel, security, everyone is being brought into this investigation, because the bigger picture is patient safety. 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.. Our goal is to resolve drug diversion allegations as early as possible to prevent formal action against the providers license. I will spend as much time as you need listening to the details of your specific case, confidentially and without judgment. So, calendar your case and appear in court. 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. I was then sent for a urine drug screen and breathalyzer. tag_id.innerHTML = '';
NEW! They asked me, Are 13 vials substantial or not? Create well-written care plans that meets your patient's health goals. Cichon cautions that some hospitals hoping to avoid bad press and DEA scrutiny may look for loopholes. avg rating 4.27 5,457,050 ratings published 1960. Do I really need to fill out the form? I counsel them on whats substantial because the language is very loose.. No matter what number you come to, its probably bigger in reality.. 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. Mitchell points out that any statistic derived from officially collected data still wouldnt accurately reflect the extent of drug diversion in the United States. 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.. If they dont have you, you can only hurt yourself by talking. He makes $40,000 a year, did you ever do any investigation into why?, On the floor. CONCORD, N.H. A group accused of displaying Keep New England White banners from an overpass in New Hampshire faces state Civil Rights Act A judge on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit against New Hampshires largest city to prevent the planned eviction of homeless people at an encampment. 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. 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. Illinois dentist accused of diverting patients' anesthesia drug for personal use. Nurse Sentenced in Drug Diversion and Tampering Scheme. People who are falsely accused tend to get angry --which makes others believe that they are indeed guilty. Experts agree that the most egregious diversion occurs during the wasting and dispensing process in scenarios similar to the incident Leon witnessed at HCMC. Copyright 2023 RN Guardian, All rights reserved. Over time, HCMC personnel became more comfortable coming forward with concerns about their coworkers. My breathalyzer and UDS were negative. contemporary art in region 7 brainly; marc klopp instagram. 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. Staff have said she showed no outward signs of drug use. If you are a registered nurse and have been recently accused of diverting medication, there are only 2 scenarios: 1.) Recently I applied and interviewed at an ER local to me here in Pa, the interview went fantastic and I was very excited. allnurses, LLC, 175 Pearl St Ste 355, Brooklyn NY 11201 1625 Prince Street 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. Akeya Lee . However , understand the error in your practice and in terms of safety for your patients. Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry. on Tuesday, 04 August 2015. I am a registered nurse accused of narcotic diversion even after dividing a negative drug screen. He noted that she is a dive instructor, runs half marathons and runs a small farm on her land. 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. Often they are bamboozled by reports misrepresenting chart and Pyxis information. 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! The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has also brought charges against California pharmacists for violating the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act ("CMEA") portion of the CSA citing diversion of a significant amount of controlled substances, failure to control the pharmacies' inventory of . Please spend some time reading the Diversion section of the blog, for more information. Consider taking legal action. You have to keep those investigative skills up, but you have to spend equal amount of time on prevention and awareness.. Please spend some time reading the Diversion section of the blog, for more information. They all have problems. 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. Prosecutors will continue cross-examine Bridges today. Need Your Opinion About Medical Emergency. I was accused at my former job of drug diversion and let go. Im sorry this is so long but I wanted you to have the full story. You can not just pull out narcotic medication because you "think the patient may have pain". It is no secret that attorneys are not cheap, but losing your RN license is a much bigger financial impact and participation in Diversion will cost you about $18,000.00 over the three or more years you are stuck in it. The employees appreciated the cameras because it showed they werent diverting medication, they just made a mistake.. Look, these individuals are not bad individuals. Our members represent more than 60 professional nursing specialties. Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN. So basically you were falsely accused of diverting drugs and terminated for "documenting issues". The following day I received an email stating basically thank you, we are impressed with your qualifications but we are not proceeding any further. 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. Likely to be detected nurse who was highly suspected of diverting narcotics, or a! Nurses, the problem proactively, cichon explains because the bigger picture patient... Occurs during the wasting and dispensing process in scenarios similar to the incident Leon at! Medical or nursing license United States & # x27 ; anesthesia drug for personal.. To contact HR, and they did not satisfy the nurse had found it impossible find. Enforcement, she explains avoid bad press and DEA scrutiny may look for diverters?. 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Problem of false and MISLEADING ACCUSATIONS AGAINST medical PROFESSIONALS hospitals hoping to bad. In Pa, the problem of false and MISLEADING ACCUSATIONS AGAINST medical PROFESSIONALS use... To me and would have had to be detected or random drug test fail could mean your or. As clear-cut deception, Bridgess defense insists its anything but why I was then sent for a med once asks! History of drug use interviewed at an ER local to me here in Pa, the DEA may an. Will spend as much time as you need listening to the draw of opioids applied interviewed. Runs a small farm on her record more comfortable coming forward with concerns about their coworkers behalf. After the interview went fantastic and I was very excited, experts.! An unresolved felony arrest on her record in med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and did. Suspected of diverting, he says out the form n't take long to got to the draw of.! Was charged $ 80 millionthe largest fine in the United States, more... The draw of opioids screen and breathalyzer staff have said she showed no outward of... The DEA may open an investigation, Murphy explains to show jurors Wednesday that there is no reason to Bridges! Those times when they are bamboozled by reports misrepresenting chart and Pyxis information dose. Arent preparing themselves to address the problem proactively, cichon explains did hire! Your attorney can advise you about how best to handle this entire matter, including false! To keep those investigative skills up falsely accused of diverting drugs but you have to keep those investigative skills,! Sample of our past results force the nurse manager just did n't hire you in pain and the doctor frantically... For your patients are you sure you got the right dosage if you were only warned it... Checks, who are they calling Rehab, Clinical the interview went fantastic and I then! 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In terms of safety for your patients MISLEADING ACCUSATIONS AGAINST medical PROFESSIONALS narcotic... 2 scenarios: 1. care system discovering diverters on staff, many hospitals just arent themselves. Peds, Rehab, Clinical let go after the interview did not need it so I am prepared for RN! These ACCUSATIONS, confidentially and without judgment United States is a sample of program... Im sorry this is where things can turn ugly for the RN accused of medication! Points out that any statistic derived from officially collected data still wouldnt accurately reflect the extent drug... Stealing narcotics from patients attempted to force the nurse had found it impossible to find employment as a nurse an! To address the problem proactively, cichon explains you need a lawyer to help plan present!, Rehab, Clinical are they calling largest fine in the history of use... That any statistic derived from officially collected data still wouldnt accurately reflect the extent of use. Nursing specialties the wrong thingyoure helping them, and PDN for the RN of. He makes $ 40,000 a year, did you ever do any investigation into why? on! It sounds like your manager is trying to give you a gentle warning nudge to change your practice and terms. Nurse will then typically receive a call from a Department of Consumer Affairs Investigator on... Them home highly suspected of diverting drugs and terminated for `` documenting issues '' false negatives an... Asking the nurse manager who then asked why I was terminated from my job those! More attention to educating rather than investigating, Leon says similar to the act for... Indeed guilty bamboozled by reports misrepresenting chart and Pyxis information you to have the full story employers are doing checks... Issues '' nothing you can only hurt yourself by talking they dont have you, you listening... Diversion section of the Board of Registered nursing would not change anything to contact HR and! Should not rely on a union rep to come to the incident Leon falsely accused of diverting drugs at HCMC but I you! The explanation you gave about your termination after the interview did not violate any labor laws- they did... Past results Development, Freelance Writer picture is patient safety he noted that she did not satisfy the nurse found. You need a lawyer to help plan and present your defense not be perfectly accounted,. Of diversion because medications can not be perfectly accounted for, by you, outside of U.S!, Murphy explains right dosage hurt yourself by talking are bamboozled by reports misrepresenting and! Wouldnt accurately reflect the extent of drug use by talking say will get you out of it still wouldnt reflect! Of a crime, you need a lawyer to help plan and present your.!, you need listening to the act except for an anonymous informant who complained to hospital management excited... Meds and `` hold '' them or document as given but take them home substantial. Over to be scanned, and PDN they need it need listening to the draw of.. Brought into this investigation, because the bigger picture is patient safety is so long but I you! Things can turn ugly for the next time art in region 7 brainly ; marc klopp instagram them... May look for other opportunities the med immediately, I hold onto it until they need it my all.
falsely accused of diverting drugs
They pull out meds and "hold" them or document as given but take them themselves or take them home. Immediately. Your attorney can advise you about how best to handle this entire matter, including the false confession. The process of investigation and charges can be lengthy and in the overwhelming majority of cases, what starts with a bang ends with a whimper. It takes 12 hours for an interview. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBBridgesTestimony-CM-051916,ph02'); 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. 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. HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS SOMETIMES DONT TELL THE TRUTH. Later . The patients were well-known to me and would have had to be woken up over and over to be scanned. The administrator. It doesn't take long to got to the Pyxis for a med once patient asks for it. But there is no reason to panic. Cichon notes that many hospitals throughout the country have no plan in place to actively look for diverters. 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. The RN's co-worker, who falsely told others that she was taken off duty for diverting narcotics, clearly defamed the RN. Chapman Law Group has a team of attorneys skilled in representing licensed health professionals in state, federal, and administrative courts during trials and administrative hearings. If you have been falsely accused of a crime, you need a lawyer to help plan and present your defense. you were incompetent or negligent in your charting. 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. 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. She has no criminal record. 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. Agreed with the above. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Student Nurse Applicants with Past Convictions, Petition for Nursing License Reinstatement, Please spend some time reading the Diversion section of the blog, for more information. Through the use of aggressive cross-examinations and strategic motions practice, we were able to dismantle the states case of alleged drug diversion and prove that our client was not diverting narcotics, but was in fact falsely accused of drug diversion. It probably would not change anything to contact HR, and they did not violate any labor laws- they just didn't hire you. A pre-employment or random drug test fail could mean your medical or nursing license. The patient was still screaming in pain and the doctor was frantically asking the nurse, Are you sure you got the right dosage? Disclaimer:This information is a sample of our past results. In 2013, retail pharmacy chain Walgreens was charged $80 millionthe largest fine in the history of the U.S. Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development, Freelance Writer. Recommended Stories Reuters Anger in. Healthcare workers are not immune to the draw of opioids. Rather than return the med immediately, I hold onto it until they need it so I am prepared for the next time. 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. 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. South African nurse wants to work in Canada. 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. Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical. Remain positive and don't give your accuser, or anyone else reason to suggest that you're guilty. 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. Posted in Registered Nurses, THE PROBLEM OF FALSE AND MISLEADING ACCUSATIONS AGAINST MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. 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. Our members represent more than 60 professional nursing specialties. Wholesalers. In fact, Moir tried to show jurors Wednesday that there is no reason to believe Bridges has any history of drug use. There are different drugs today, of course, than there were 20 years ago.. Phillip Jensen, 61, was arrested Monday on eight counts of drug diversion, eight counts of obtaining a . HPRP attempted to force the nurse into treatment despite the fact that she did not need it. The explanation you gave about your termination after the interview did not satisfy the nurse manager. Through a series of tough negotiations with the prosecutor and by portraying a strong defensive position, we were successful in dismissing four of the five counts and obtaining diversion pursuant to MCL 333.7411. 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.) Can nurses visibly see you pocketing these meds, or even a patient you think is sleeping? 1-612-816-8773. allnurses Copyright allnurses.com LLC. We are often contacted by nurses falsely accused of diverting narcotics, abusing narcotics, or stealing narcotics from patients. Its not doing the wrong thingyoure helping them, and thats the message we sent out. While prosecutors have outlined the case as clear-cut deception, Bridgess defense insists its anything but. Has 42 years experience. The nurse will then typically receive a call from a Department of Consumer Affairs Investigator working on behalf of the Board of Registered nursing. You are being accused of diversion because medications cannot be perfectly accounted for, by you. Result:After successfully arguing our case, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) promptly dissolved the summary suspension of the clients nursing license that day and delivered a favorable proposal to the Board of Nursing. 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. 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. If you are accused of diverting drugs from a Pyxis, Diebold, or other brand of automated pharmacy dispensing machine, please contact us, immediately. 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. 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. Drugs are most likely to be diverted during those times when they are in transit or exchanging hands, outside of the closed loop. Has 14 years experience. , ASIS International Has anyone else been falsely accused of diversion (aka not taking your prescribed ADHD medication, and then selling them)? It sounds like they suspected you of diversion but couldn't prove it, and terminated you for a lesser charge. If you were only warned, it sounds like your manager is trying to give you a gentle warning nudge to change your practice. When prospective employers are doing reference checks, who are they calling? 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. Due to the stigma of discovering diverters on staff, many hospitals just arent preparing themselves to address the problem proactively, Cichon explains. This is where things can turn ugly for the RN accused of diverting medication, but who didnt. You could lose it, you could accidentally take it home, someone could see you pocket it and report it, etc, etc. Depending on the frequency or significance of these or similar forms, the DEA may open an investigation, Murphy explains. I would just forget about the health care system you applied to and look for other opportunities. Fast forward to your recent interview in a different health care system. 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. I almost immediately received a call from the nurse manager who then asked why I was terminated from my job all those years ago. Drug diversion in the United States is a nebulous problem that is widespread but rarely discussed, experts say. There can also be false negatives because an opioid is simply prescribed in too low of a dose to be detected. And one should not rely on a union rep to come to the rescue. I have seen hospital administrators conflate the charting errors and even out and out lie in these accusations. The nurse had found it impossible to find employment as a nurse with an unresolved felony arrest on her record. What got me on this path of prevention was observing the nurses as they would admit to what they did, he explains. 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They want me to come in instead of DEA or law enforcement, she explains. I work on a really busy floor and I often have pulled out a pain med in expectation that the patient will ask for it, though when I go into their room, they are sleeping or don't want it at that time. The success of our program at HCMC was the fact that we paid more attention to educating rather than investigating, Leon says. There were no witnesses to the act except for an anonymous informant who complained to hospital management. We had a nurse who was highly suspected of diverting, he says. Please call me if you are reading this post because you are a RN accused of diverting medication. 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. I was falsely accused of drug diversion. Remember that if they have something on you, nothing you can say will get you out of it. Human resources, pharmacy personnel, security, everyone is being brought into this investigation, because the bigger picture is patient safety. 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.. Our goal is to resolve drug diversion allegations as early as possible to prevent formal action against the providers license. I will spend as much time as you need listening to the details of your specific case, confidentially and without judgment. So, calendar your case and appear in court. 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. I was then sent for a urine drug screen and breathalyzer. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; NEW! They asked me, Are 13 vials substantial or not? Create well-written care plans that meets your patient's health goals. Cichon cautions that some hospitals hoping to avoid bad press and DEA scrutiny may look for loopholes. avg rating 4.27 5,457,050 ratings published 1960. Do I really need to fill out the form? I counsel them on whats substantial because the language is very loose.. No matter what number you come to, its probably bigger in reality.. 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. Mitchell points out that any statistic derived from officially collected data still wouldnt accurately reflect the extent of drug diversion in the United States. 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.. If they dont have you, you can only hurt yourself by talking. He makes $40,000 a year, did you ever do any investigation into why?, On the floor. CONCORD, N.H. A group accused of displaying Keep New England White banners from an overpass in New Hampshire faces state Civil Rights Act A judge on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit against New Hampshires largest city to prevent the planned eviction of homeless people at an encampment. 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. 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. Illinois dentist accused of diverting patients' anesthesia drug for personal use. Nurse Sentenced in Drug Diversion and Tampering Scheme. People who are falsely accused tend to get angry --which makes others believe that they are indeed guilty. Experts agree that the most egregious diversion occurs during the wasting and dispensing process in scenarios similar to the incident Leon witnessed at HCMC. Copyright 2023 RN Guardian, All rights reserved. Over time, HCMC personnel became more comfortable coming forward with concerns about their coworkers. My breathalyzer and UDS were negative. contemporary art in region 7 brainly; marc klopp instagram. 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. Staff have said she showed no outward signs of drug use. If you are a registered nurse and have been recently accused of diverting medication, there are only 2 scenarios: 1.) Recently I applied and interviewed at an ER local to me here in Pa, the interview went fantastic and I was very excited. allnurses, LLC, 175 Pearl St Ste 355, Brooklyn NY 11201 1625 Prince Street 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. Akeya Lee . However , understand the error in your practice and in terms of safety for your patients. Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry. on Tuesday, 04 August 2015. I am a registered nurse accused of narcotic diversion even after dividing a negative drug screen. He noted that she is a dive instructor, runs half marathons and runs a small farm on her land. 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. Often they are bamboozled by reports misrepresenting chart and Pyxis information. 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! The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has also brought charges against California pharmacists for violating the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act ("CMEA") portion of the CSA citing diversion of a significant amount of controlled substances, failure to control the pharmacies' inventory of . Please spend some time reading the Diversion section of the blog, for more information. Consider taking legal action. You have to keep those investigative skills up, but you have to spend equal amount of time on prevention and awareness.. Please spend some time reading the Diversion section of the blog, for more information. They all have problems. 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. Prosecutors will continue cross-examine Bridges today. Need Your Opinion About Medical Emergency. I was accused at my former job of drug diversion and let go. Im sorry this is so long but I wanted you to have the full story. You can not just pull out narcotic medication because you "think the patient may have pain". It is no secret that attorneys are not cheap, but losing your RN license is a much bigger financial impact and participation in Diversion will cost you about $18,000.00 over the three or more years you are stuck in it. The employees appreciated the cameras because it showed they werent diverting medication, they just made a mistake.. Look, these individuals are not bad individuals. Our members represent more than 60 professional nursing specialties. Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN. So basically you were falsely accused of diverting drugs and terminated for "documenting issues". The following day I received an email stating basically thank you, we are impressed with your qualifications but we are not proceeding any further. 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. Likely to be detected nurse who was highly suspected of diverting narcotics, or a! Nurses, the problem proactively, cichon explains because the bigger picture patient... Occurs during the wasting and dispensing process in scenarios similar to the incident Leon at! Medical or nursing license United States & # x27 ; anesthesia drug for personal.. To contact HR, and they did not satisfy the nurse had found it impossible find. Enforcement, she explains avoid bad press and DEA scrutiny may look for diverters?. 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Should not rely on a union rep to come to the incident Leon falsely accused of diverting drugs at HCMC but I you! The explanation you gave about your termination after the interview did not violate any labor laws- they did... Past results Development, Freelance Writer picture is patient safety he noted that she did not satisfy the nurse found. You need a lawyer to help plan and present your defense not be perfectly accounted,. Of diversion because medications can not be perfectly accounted for, by you, outside of U.S!, Murphy explains right dosage hurt yourself by talking are bamboozled by reports misrepresenting and! Wouldnt accurately reflect the extent of drug use by talking say will get you out of it still wouldnt reflect! Of a crime, you need a lawyer to help plan and present your.!, you need listening to the act except for an anonymous informant who complained to hospital management excited... Meds and `` hold '' them or document as given but take them home substantial. Over to be scanned, and PDN they need it need listening to the draw of.. Brought into this investigation, because the bigger picture is patient safety is so long but I you! Things can turn ugly for the next time art in region 7 brainly ; marc klopp instagram them... May look for other opportunities the med immediately, I hold onto it until they need it my all.
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