School Aide Jailed For Stealing And Replacing Students' Medication

[NRSKarenRN]

Will spend 5 years in prison

What advice do AN's school nurses offer to minimize this issue? Especially with district having one RN covering multiple schools using nursing aide in each school in place professional RN/LPN. Karen

March 4, 2020 from I Heart Radio:

School Aide Jailed For Stealing And Replacing Students' Medication

https://www.iheart.com/content/2020-03-04-school-aide-jailed-for-stealing-and-replacing-students-medication/

Quote

,,, The school's nurse began to suspect something was amiss last year when she noticed that pill bottles were not in their usual locations. She believed that her aide,... was tampering with the medications.

As the nurse began to look into the matter, she found that the pill count logs had been altered. While the nurse was trying to figure out what was going on, the police received a report from a parent that her child's Adderall had been replaced with Benadryl.

During an investigation, school officials discovered two other cases in which a child's medication had been stolen and replaced. Police arrested Poytress, and she told investigators she had been battling an "opium problem" for five years....

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

Just wondering--has anyone else ever dealt with liquid controlled substances? When I worked in home health we would do the math and put a piece of masking tape on the side marking where the medication level was at the end of each shift and wrote what it would be based on the math (35ml-5ml=30ml). Is there a better way? Weighing it on a small scale?

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

In the 90's, my youngest needed noontime Ritalin. RN covered 3 schools, so the secretary administered from prefilled weekly mediplanner that I sent in on Monday and arrived home via backpack Friday; did have empty RX bottle kept at school along with doctors note. Resolved when longer lasting Concerta came on market, given at breakfast. No medication count record kept. In today's "I'll sue" mindset, can see that med count record needed for controlled substances to CYA and help curb/catch early stealing meds.

[k1p1ssk, BSN, RN]

1 hour ago, BrisketRN said:

Just wondering--has anyone else ever dealt with liquid controlled substances? When I worked in home health we would do the math and put a piece of masking tape on the side marking where the medication level was at the end of each shift and wrote what it would be based on the math (35ml-5ml=30ml). Is there a better way? Weighing it on a small scale?

I would insist that the pharmacy place it in a bottle that has measurements on the side in mLs OR that they use pre-measured syringes; Mark down the beginning measurement and count by mLs each day... maybe even mark down coloration and consistency to make sure that liquid isn't being removed and replaced with water or something. This is how it was handled in a nursing home I worked at.

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

6 minutes ago, k1p1ssk said:

I would insist that the pharmacy place it in a bottle that has measurements on the side in mLs OR that they use pre-measured syringes; Mark down the beginning measurement and count by mLs each day... maybe even mark down coloration and consistency to make sure that liquid isn't being removed and replaced with water or something. This is how it was handled in a nursing home I worked at.

Yes--I forgot to add the bottles are always marked with measurements! Those bottles have measurements in 5ml increments and the dose is 4ml so the tape is just to mark exactly.

[SandIsMyGlitterRN, BSN, RN]

1 hour ago, NRSKarenRN said:

In the 90's, my youngest needed noontime Ritalin. RN covered 3 schools, so the secretary administered from prefilled weekly mediplanner that I sent in on Monday and arrived home via backpack Friday; did have empty RX bottle kept at school along with doctors note. Resolved when longer lasting Concerta came on market, given at breakfast. No medication count record kept. In today's "I'll sue" mindset, can see that med count record needed for controlled substances to CYA and help curb/catch early stealing meds.

They let students bring in their own meds in backpacks!??? Now that is trust. Would never fly now.

[Bulldogs, CNA, EMT-B]

21 hours ago, JenTheSchoolRN said:

If I did weekly, I would have kids going days without ADHD meds.

I do count my controlled at least 2 times a week. I actually do pill boxes for each student and refill them on Fridays. I do a bottle count each Monday when I start the week and Friday when I refill the boxes. Boxes also let me track the week and also whether or not student received a med or not (especially when I get uber busy during a med pass time).

However, there are only two keys to the locked cabinet in my office that contains meds and they don't circulate beyond myself, my boss, the nurse from our other campus, or given to sub if they cover me so that helps.

Tell me More about your system . YOu refill a personal pill box for each student for the week on Fridays??? Are you placing labels on theses with names dob medication type???? I* am very curious about this as I am the District nurse but this could help our my secretaries at my other campuses and I would be the only one counting pills.

[amoLucia]

This post just goes to show that one cannot really trust anyone anymore.

Glad that nurse was able to see a problem and then act on her suspicions. Difficult to imagine what MIGHT happened TO HER had she NOT noticed the discrepancy. Surely she'd have been thrown to the wolves with blame.

[JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN]

On 3/6/2020 at 10:46 AM, pennyeary said:

Tell me More about your system . YOu refill a personal pill box for each student for the week on Fridays??? Are you placing labels on theses with names dob medication type???? I* am very curious about this as I am the District nurse but this could help our my secretaries at my other campuses and I would be the only one counting pills.

Yep - labels on box. Have student name, DOB, Advisory(homeroom), med, time give, amount (in dosage amount and number of pills), route. I do this just in case I am out last second so either a sub or my boss (unlicensed but trained) can go into the drawer and grab the box with all the details on it exactly.