Nurse Avoids Disciplinary Action for Diverting Fentanyl
On behalf of Randall & Stump, PLLC in on Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Not long ago, we worked on a case for a nurse accused of misappropriating fentanyl. Apparently, the woman was a traveling nurse in a high-volume emergency room and the computer system used to track dosages of the painkiller and waste was showing discrepancies in what was provided. The issue was reported to the North Carolina Nursing Board and since she was part of the interstate compact, she was not eligible for any diversion programs. Essentially, if wrongdoing was found, the Nursing Board could revoke her license.
With a lot of experience in licensing issues for nurses in North Carolina, our attorneys got involved early and sent her for a drug screening, which was not done initially. This revealed our client was not using the drugs herself, and after an investigation, we uncovered various issues with how drugs were administered and controlled. By presenting our findings to the Nursing Board, we resolved the matter with a non-public letter of concern. This has no ramifications to her license and no further disciplinary action attached to her file.
The outcome of an individual case depends on a variety of factors unique to that case. Case results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any similar or future case.