CALLOUS hospital workers have stolen
thousands of doses of medication intended as
pain relief for cancer patients, car-crash victims
with spinal injuries and the seriously ill at
Victorian hospitals.
Herald Sun April 7 2011
Exclusive figures - released under Freedom of Information laws - show highly addictive street drugs
and deadly chemicals have mysteriously vanished in 101 incidents in the past three years - and the
number is rising.
The Sunday Herald Sun has been told that drug-stealing workers were the cause of most of the missing
medications.
Insiders said nurses - particularly casually employed agency staff - were often involved in the stings.
They said staff were typically stealing for personal use, but the large number of doses stolen in the
thousands has raised concerns inside some hospitals that drugs are being sold on the street.
The addicts' banquet of morphine, "hillbilly heroin" oxycodone, speed-like stimulant methylphenidate,
the hallucinogenic horse tranquilliser ketamine, and the deadly chemical fentanyl have been smuggled
out of drug safes or misplaced.
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The booty, worth more than $1 million on the street, has vanished despite strict laws on the storage and
use of hospital substances.
Accidental throw-outs and other human errors also resulted in losses, medical sources said.
Victoria Police, who have launched investigations into at least 64 security breaches involving missing
hospital drugs, say they are concerned about the booty falling into the wrong hands.
The stings and bungles have plagued some of the state's most prestigious hospitals including Cabrini,
the Epworth, St Vincent's Private, the Alfred and Ballarat Base.
Austin Health director of pharmacy, Kent Garrett, said staff members had been sacked over eight
instances of theft at the hospital over the past three years.
Health Minister David Davis said the high number of thefts was a concern.
"I'm looking at rigorous polices to reduce the instances of stolen medications," he said.
AMA Victoria president Dr Harry Hemley said the community was put at risk when highly addictive
drugs were let loose.
"In the wrong hands, these substances could be dangerous and lead to drug overdoses with tragic
outcomes," Dr Hemley said.
Drug and addiction experts said prescription medications fetched big money once sold on the street.
They were becoming the drug of choice ahead of heroin because of the price, availability and the
reassurance that each "hit" was measured.
Turning Point Drug and Alcohol's clinical services head, Matthew Frei said the misuse of prescription
opioids in Australia was a "significant problem".