Drinking Morphine

[captainstandup]

When my Grandmother was in Hospice care they issued my mom two bottles of "liquid morphine" 50mg/ml in 10 ml vial (SL Administered) and they gave her two of them to keep my Grandmother comfortable. For the mathematically challenged, thats 1000 mg of MS. The moment my Grandmother died Hospice was called and the nurse came to the home. The first thing she did was to go directly to the medicine cabinet withdraw the remaining MS, she then had me witness her destroying every drop of MS and several other meds, narcotic and otherwise.

I've haven't researched nor do I believe that EMT I 2802's patient had access to enough (or any) injectable morphine that put them into arrest. Someone will eventually have to account for the schedule II narcotics.

[Scaramedic]

It's interesting how each hospice is different. When my Aunt, Uncle and Father passed on at home they didn't want any of the multiple forms of different narcotics back. In fact they were very nonchalant about them. I had my mom watch each time as I flushed thousands of dollars worth of meds.

[njmedic1485]

We used Hospice assistance with both my mother and father in laws, they were the same way, real free with the narcs, but didn't want them back Morphine and Ativan elixirs as well as ativan suppositories all were flushed be me with my wife verifying the waste.

[Dustdevil]

Someone will eventually have to account for the schedule II narcotics.

They were accounted for when they left the pharmacy. After that, end of story. The DEA doesn't go around to dead people's houses looking to repossess narcotics. They don't even know the person died. :?

[captainstandup]

In North Carolina the Division of Health and Human Services has a controlled substances division which periodically audits anyone that dispenses narcotics. There has to be a closed chain of custody which tracks the med from receipt by EMS, hospital etc to administration and even includes forms that document who it was given to and the manner by which the unused portion was wasted. The forms, or in hospitals an electronic form, must be kept for years. Waste requires two signatures.

With this said I realize that EMT I 2802 may live in an area where injectable morphine is less controlled (perhaps its considered an over the counter med there!) however, I find it difficult to fathom that someone had access to enough of it to essentially kill them, via oral admin.

By the way Dust, hows the weather in the sandbox?

[spenac]

however, I find it difficult to fathom that someone had access to enough of it to essentially kill them, via oral admin.

Perhaps it was an allergic reaction to the sulfate and not the morphine that killed them.

[captainstandup]

Could be an allergic reaction, but EMT I 2802 implied that narcan saved the patient. Oh well, I still remember vividly the "proctology exam" we received and this was for a routine audit, not a "for cause investigation"

[spenac]

Could be an allergic reaction, but EMT I 2802 implied that narcan saved the patient. Oh well, I still remember vividly the "proctology exam" we received and this was for a routine audit, not a "for cause investigation"

My bad missed the narcan reference. If narcan reversed narcotic effects not allergy.

[Dustdevil]

In North Carolina the Division of Health and Human Services has a controlled substances division which periodically audits anyone that dispenses narcotics.

Ah... I thought you were referring to medication prescribed directly to the patient through a pharmacy, not through a provider.

By the way Dust, hows the weather in the sandbox?

Freezing! But at least not windy or wet. But in 19 days I'll be home in freezing, wet, and windy So Cal. Much better! Not. :?

[nremtp]

We have liquid morphine which is called "oramorph". Surely if someone drank injectable morphine it would undergo extensive first pass metabolism which would render the morphine inert.