Has anyone had issues with accusations of diverting drugs?

[ImShelly31]

Long story short and I'm not looking for leagal advice other than what sort of attorney should I be seeking for my problem

I am in deep trouble. I took meds (narcs) from the accudose system and never scaned them to a patient. I do not know what happened. If anyone was asked on a specefic day weeks in the past what happened we may all be a litte "lost" as to what has happened.

At any rate, I was wrong and did NOT document. I know I was wrong...dead dead wrong and may now pay with my license. At any rate I showed up to work...taken to Employee Health, urine drug tested (sent to forensic lab). I'm quite sure that it will be positive as i took RX cough med the night before I was tested (I have a RX for this). Now I am placed on admin leave pending the drug test. I was told that if the test is ok, they are going to audit 6 months of all my actions and deceide what they will do next. They took my badge (to me this is a VERY bad sign) and sent me home.

I understand their concern and that the patients safety must come first. I totally understand and I know that they are right in going this direction. HOwever I feel like no matter what I'm out of a job. Does anyone have any idea how the nursing boards handle this sort of complaint? Does anyone know what type of attorney I should seek? Has anyone been through this? Is this as horrible as I'm seeing it? Is there any hope for my situation?

Again, I'm not seeking legal advice, just support from anyone. I am freaking out and have not stoped crying. I love being a nurse and cannot imagine my life if I were not.

Thank you for listening to me.

Shelly

[ERNP]

I have never had issues personally, but was working where the charge nurse was arrested while on shift for taking narcotics (signing extra out of machine and not wasting). He had evidently been under investigation for a while. His house contained many narcs, his car was evidently the mother load.

He spent a little time in jail and had to complete a program of some sort. He still has a license, although there was a period of suspension (I don't know how long). The last account I had he was working as a nurse again.

I don't know any further details.

I also worked with a doc who was caught diverting demerol to himself. Had to go to rehab and then some supervised practice, but he is still practicing medicine.

[ImShelly31]

WOW that is encouraging...as I've searched the net I've come upon so so many issues of "revoked, suspended indefinately...for much less that what I"m accused of.

I've not slept or eaten in days. I'm a total wreck. I'd like to comment more on the post but cannot right now, I'm just so tired and weak. I will comment more tomorrow.

Thank you for all the encouragement and for the non-judgemental way you have all spoken to me. I am very grateful to have had these replies. I'll check in tomorrow. Thank you all

[rph3664]

I have had the misfortune of working with people who accused me of just about everything EXCEPT diverting drugs.

The most outrageous story I ever heard about one of my own? When I was in pharmacy school, a man came and spoke to our class who had lost his license for using his own drugs. He would order bottles of Tylenol #3 liquid and chase them with Mucomyst to prevent acetaminophen poisoning. It was quite obvious from my reaction that I was the only person in the class who knew what Mucomyst was and how dreadful it smelled. I said, out loud, "This dude was hardcore!"

He went on with his presentation.

Before I moved to this area, I heard about a pharmacist who was believed by anyone who knew her to have gone to pharmacy school solely to get drugs. (I can think of easier way to do it, but I digress.) She had a very interesting boyfriend, and one night, the pharmacy was broken into in such a way that it could only have been done by someone who knew what they were doing, and only the "fun" drugs were gone. She, of course, denied any firsthand knowledge.

Instead of destroying expired C-II meds, she took them home with her, and also took the records home with her as well. When the net began to close around her, she tore them up and flushed them down the toilet, and the plumber extricated all the evidence needed to convict her.