Deadly drug missing from BGH

David Knox 1607 - 1607 • Published 8 Oct 2008 09:00 0 Comments

A PROBE is underway at Borders General Hospital after morphine has gone missing - yet again.

Bosses at the Melrose hospital called in the police last week after they couldn"t find another quantity of the dangerous drug.

But officers don"t believe the highly-addictive heroin alternative has been snatched by drug addicts.

The Border Telegraph understands that concerns were raised earlier this year after auditors couldn"t find doses of the painkiller.

And alarm bells began ringing again last month when it emerged more of the drug was lost.

An NHS Borders spokeswoman confirmed that it was "highly unusual" for controlled drugs to be missing.

Hospital chiefs released a statement to the Border Telegraph earlier this week. It states: 'There have been two incidents of misplaced controlled drugs which are being investigated internally.

'It is procedural for these incidents to be reported to the police.

'There is not a suspicion of theft at this time.'

Internal investigations into the missing morphine have yet to throw up any answers.

An insider at the BGH told us: 'There are strict procedures for signing out drugs like morphine and methadone.

'This is highly embarrassing for certain people and a full enquiry has been launched.'

Tighter controls were introduced to dispensing controlled drugs following the 2000 trial of serial killer Harold Shipman.

The Manchester doctor used overdoses of diamorphine to kill as many as 250 of his elderly patients.

And even tighter regulations are being called for in Scotland following the death almost three years ago of East Lothian toddler, Derek Doran, after drinking the heroin substitute.

Police confirmed they had visited the hospital.

A spokesman for the Lothian and Borders force said: 'We did attend the BGH regarding concerns over controlled drugs.

'It appears that it is down to internal issues within the hospital, rather than theft, and no further action is likely to be taken.'

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This article appeared in Border Telegraph 08 Oct 08

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