Imagine, for a moment, that you are a doctor having to put up with another busy day at work (or perhaps you already are a doctor, in which case you can sympathize). After going through thousands of patient files throughout the week, you discover that one of your prescription pads has been stolen by (of all people) one of the employees at the hospital where you work. As bizarre as this situation sounds, this is just another example of how drug abuse and addiction can affect anybody, even the people we turn to for support during our most painful times. Amid a public health crisis, it also does not help that one employee of a hospital in Austin, Texas recently wrote prescriptions for opioids (so she could take them). Let’s take a closer look at the reality of hospital workers stealing prescription pads to get drugs.
Risky Business
Recently, the Austin Police Department conducted a search for a nurse who (according to reports) stole a prescription pad from her workplace to get fake opiate prescriptions filled. Based on the report, the 38-year old woman took the pad from Baylor, Scott, and White before attempting to get the medications filled at a Brodie Lane pharmacy. Later, employees at the pharmacy contacted the employer’s risk management team and informed them that the nurse had requested a prescription for 180 hydrocodone pills (allegedly for her husband).
A Long-Running Record
According to Baylor, Scott, and White, this pharmacy has records of filing additional fake opiate prescriptions that were supposedly intended for the nurse and her husband. Even more disturbing, pharmacy associates explained that the prescriptions had come from her employer, who (obviously) denied these statements.
When you consider how severe the Opioid Crisis has become in our country, this incident will not come as a surprise to you. After all, as of 2016, retail pharmacies across the U.S. dispensed an estimated 214 million opioid prescriptions (about 66 medications per 100 people). In total, that number is greater than any other record in the world.
Always remember that drugs do not have control over your life. You do. Are you suffering from a substance use disorder or a severe form of addiction? Do you have a friend or family member suffering from one or more of these debilitating illnesses? If you do, get in touch with Asana Recovery today. Our counselors and healthcare experts are ready to walk you through every step of the detox and withdrawal process and rehabilitation and guide you towards living a happier, healthier, and freer lifestyle. While the road to recovery might not be an easy road to travel, we promise to help you every step of the way. Take the first step to stay fit, healthy, and safe.
The time for you to take back control of your life is now. If you are interested in one of our residential treatment or supervised detoxification/withdrawal programs, we are ready and waiting to speak with you at your disclosure. Call Asana now at (949) 438-4504 to learn how to overcome your drug abuse or addiction troubles today.
