Tag Archives: pharmaceutical waste

Do you have a prescription for that?

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In most nursing positions, nurses are subjected to random, unannounced drug screens by their employer. Usually nurses are prepared to provide a drug test as a pre-condition for employment. However, once nurses have been working in a location for a while, they forget that employers may ask them to submit to a drug screen for cause (ie. if there are missing medications), when they are moved to a new unit, or just on a random basis.

If the drug test is positive for an illegal drug, the nurse may face suspension or termination from their job and the positive test result will also be reported to the Ohio Board of Nursing. However, often nurses test positive for prescription medications. If the nurse is able to provide their employer with a copy of a prescription showing that they have been prescribed the medication by their doctor, then it is not a problem. But, in many cases, nurses do not have prescriptions for medications they have taken. On occasion, nurses will take their friends’, spouse’s or kids’ medications, resulting in a positive drug screen.

Testing positive on a drug screen for a medications which has not been  prescribed,  may result in negative ramifications with your employment and your nursing license. The Ohio Board of Nursing regularly takes disciplinary actions against nurses who test positive for prescription medications, which have not been prescribed to them.

I recently spoke to a nurse who told me that her doctor told her to keep any old narcotic medications in her cabinet in case she or another family member might need the medication. This is improper advise. Medications can only be taken by the person who has been prescribed the medication. You can’t just keep a “stash” of prescription medications in your cabinet to be used by anyone who has access to the cabinet.

If you have left over medications, follow appropriate disposal procedures to discard the medication. Do not store unused narcotic medications in an unsecure location where other family members (including teenagers) may have access to the drugs.

Finally for nurses, if you have not been prescribed a medication, you should not ingest it as it may lead to a positive drug screen that may jeopardize your employment and license to practice as a nurse in Ohio.

As always, if you have any questions about this post or the Ohio Board of Nursing in general, please feel to check out my website www.collislaw.com or email me at beth@collislaw.com or call me at (614) 486-3909.

Taking medical “waste” for your own personal use is a felony

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The Ohio Board of Nursing may discipline a nurse for a wide range of violations from falsification on an application, practicing outside of the scope of their license or chemical substance impairment that prevents the nurse from providing safe nursing care, just to name a few.  However, few violations are more egregious than taking medication from a patient or documenting giving a patient a medication that was not given.  Even the most impaired nurse knows that they must always give their patients the medications that are prescribed to them.

However, many nurses “rationalize’ that they can take the medication waste that is not prescribed to a patient which is just going to be discarded. This is also faulty thinking. Anytime you take medications from a nursing home, hospital or patient, you are committing a crime and could be charged with a felony.  When medical facilities learn that medications are missing, usually the hospital pharmacist or hospital security are called in to conduct an investigation. Nurses can be asked to provide a urine drug screen and if the nurse tests positive for any prescription medication for which they do not have a valid prescription or an illegal street drug,  the results of the drug test are usually turned over to the local prosecutor and/or the Nursing Board. The police can charge the nurse with a variety of felonies including, theft of drugs, deception to obtain illegal drugs, or illegal processing of drug documents.

Some impaired nurses also use their knowledge on prescribing to call in an illegal prescription to a pharmacy. Pharmacists have been trained to keep an eye out for suspicious activities and will often call the “prescribing” physician to verify the prescription. Then, upon finding any irregularities in the prescription, the police will be called to arrest the nurse when she (or he) arrives at the pharmacy to pick up the medication.

Taking medical waste, documenting that you gave a patient a medication when you actually took it yourself or calling in a prescription to a pharmacy for your own personal use, can all lead to being charged with a felony in Ohio and suspension or revocation of your Ohio nursing license.

If you believe you are impaired, you should seek medical treatment immediately. For nurses who voluntarily seek treatment, you might also be eligible for the Ohio Board of Nursing Alternative Program for Impaired Nurses. http://66.161.141.164/oac/4723-6

As always, if you have any questions about this post or questions about the Ohio Board of Nursing in general, feel free to email me at Beth@collislaw.com or call me at 614-486-3909.