Nurse Stole Morphine From Elderly Patient
July 6, 2013
A nurse was convicted this week of diluting morphine meant for elderly patients while stealing the drug for herself.
Lisa Macan was convicted by a Santa Rosa County jury of neglect of an elderly person, possession of a controlled substance, and petit theft. Circuit Judge Marci Goodman remanded the 47-year old nurse into cstody in the county jail and set her sentencing for July 31, 2013. She faces a maximum of 10 years state prison.
While Macan was working as a LPN at a Gulf Breeze nursing home, one of her elderly 92 year-old hospice patients received several doses of diluted morphine that failed to abate the patient’s pain. Another nurse had noticed the prescription was not working and thought the prescription appeared to be watered down. The nursing home administration notified the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. A pharmacist tested the morphine and found it had been diluted.
Prosecutors said Macan admitted to taking the patient’s morphine, a controlled substance, for her own use and adding water to the bottle, so that her theft would go undetected. Macan acknowledged to her employer upon her termination that diluting the medication meant that the hospice patient would receive the diluted medication.
Comments
5 Responses to “Nurse Stole Morphine From Elderly Patient”
This happens alot more than people realize. Sometimes a dishonest nurse will administer half of the dose and pocket the rest.
Definitely not a new event to occur in the health care setting. I always felt that normal saline used for irrigation (the typical dilutant in such crimes) should be produced with a harmless dye added. That way — if it is used to dilute narcotics, the resulting change in color would be immediately noticed by the nursing staff and pharmacists.
She is a prime example why I did my own research of certification, licenses, and criminal background check before picking an assisted living facility for my mother. Something I hope every takes time to do before placing a loved one in a facility of any sort. You do have a right to this information if you didn’t already know.
Nice to see her judge is Marci Goodman is over her case…..she doesn’t play nice!
Just a shame!
Lower than low, letting an elderly dying person live in pain for your own fix. I hope you spend years in jail thinking about it.