OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

1. OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL Prescription Drug Symposium

2. Drug Abusing Nurse Profile

3. High Stress • Present when patient in pain • Present when patient dies • Demand for perfection

4. Profile • Best nurse on the floor • Last person you would suspect • Willing to work extra shifts and stays late

5. Profile • May come to work on days off • Prefers high narcotic usage floors and signs out more than peers • Prefers night shift

6. Profile • Frequently documents waste • Nursing notes don’t match drugs given • Takes frequent restroom breaks

7. Profile • Often use Schedule II injectables such as Demerol, Dilaudid and morphine • Is self addicted • Often for personal use only – doesn’t deal

8. Profile • Uses drugs on the job and is impaired or passed out • Sloppy record keeping • Patients and co-workers complain

9. Profile • Has divorce/child custody issues • Health issues • Death/illness in family

10. Methods of diversion • Steals from patients who have “as needed” prescriptions • Falsifies a doctor’s order

11. Drug substitution • Very dangerous • Replaces controlled substances with other drugs • Replaces narcotic tubex with saline

12. Omission • Drug will be signed out on the control sheet but not documented on the patient’s chart • Usually occurs in the latter stages of addiction when user is getting desperate

13. Drugs of choice • Fentanyl patches

14. Drugs of choice • Oxycontin

15. Drugs of choice • Hydrocodone