Our Maryland pharmacy error attorneys have been following the recent news story surrounding a prescription drug error that resulted from drug theft, leaving a man without proper pain medication management while undergoing a kidney stone surgery.
According to Fox-9 News, in November of 2010, Larry King checked into Abbot Northwestern Hospital for kidney stone removal surgery. King was reportedly told that the 30-minute operation would be painless. While receiving Fentanyl, a powerful pain relieving medication that according to a recent Baltimore medication error blog is 100 times more powerful than morphine, Sarah May Casareto, the nurse responsible for administrating his surgery pain medication, allegedly stole 300 micrograms from King’s pain dosage in order to take the drugs herself—telling him that he would have to deal with the pain because they couldn’t give him a lot of medication.
Casareto’s prescription pain medication error and drug theft was reportedly discovered by other medical professionals during the operation, after Casareto started exhibiting strange behavior, which allegedly included slurred speech, dropping syringes in the operating room, and falling asleep. When confronted with drug abuse and drug theft, the nurse allegedly still held four unlabeled syringes in her pocket. King has filed a criminal complaint against Casareto, who refused a drug test and immediately resigned after the incident.
As a result of the drug abuse incident, King reportedly felt an extremely high pain level during the surgery, and doctors eventually gave him additional medication to help him through the rest of the operation. He claimed to have filed criminal and possibly a civil case to make sure that other patients don’t experience the same painful medication error that he went through.
If you or someone you know has experienced a prescription medication mistake in Maryland or the Washington, D.C. area, contact our pharmacy error attorneys at Lebowitz and Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation on your rights.
Patient ‘Fine’ After Med Theft, Lawsuit Possible, Fox-9 News, February 10, 2011
Nurse Stole Drug More Potent than Morphine, Fox-9 News, February 10, 2011
Related Web Resources:
Nursing Home Aide Steals Drug By Licking Painkiller Patch on Resident’s Back, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, May 27, 2010
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Medication Error Reports