Can I get a guess?

allnurses Guide · Apr 18, 2017

This truly is for a friend. She comes to work one night, slurring, nodding , not acting herself . They immediately do a drug screen... all negative, because she is on a ton of meds that are prescribed... no patient danger, no diversion issue, she was just acting funny. They referred her to her states monitoring program, and suspended her. What's likely for her, since they WERE legally her meds, ( and yes I realize you are not allowed to work on them ).. but what do you see happening to her? Certainly not a ridiculous 5 year monitoring program, right? Can I just have opinions please... I know nobody knows for sure ... thanks!
edit: she's on OxyContin, Percocet, ambien, klonopin, antidepressant... she admits ( to me) she took all that st bedtime, after fighting with her husband...

Opinion - since she clearly is not using these medications in a therapeutic way and showed up at work in a condition unfit to work - yes she may well end up in a "Ridiculous 5 year monitoring contract" That might well save her life. If she took all that just the night before and had negative tox screen. either the tox screen is wrong or there is something terribly medically wrong with her that needs to be addressed. Depending on what and how much she took she's lucky she isn't dead.

Hppy

allnurses Guide · Apr 19, 2017

They immediately do a drug screen... all negative, because she is on a ton of meds that are prescribed

I went back and read this again ... because something didn't feel right! Was her drug test negative (as in no substances found) or positive for substances she has legal prescriptions for and therefore deemed to be ok to be in her system. It really doesn't matter as she showed up for work impaired. This shows a lack of good judgment which is a matter of patient safety. Back in my using days I never worked under the influence but my mind set and judgement was so skewed and off kilter that my practice was impaired and patients were in fact in danger. I hope this person gets beyond her denial and gets the help she needs. Though being under board supervision saved my life, sanity, career and family - it's still a very tough row to hoe.

Peace

Hppy

aflahe00 · Apr 25, 2017

Clearly she isn't taking her medicine as prescribed, or she's taking it all at once which drug abuse as well. If this is something that happens consistently she may have a problem and need some help. So yeah she will be in a program for 3-5 years.

ChryssyD · Apr 26, 2017

Your friend is going to wind up in the monitoring program, which will probably be the best thing that's happened to her in a long time. Stock up on Kleenex--there will be some rough days/nights ahead. Which is normal. I hope you continue being her friend--she will need you.

Best wishes.