Six Iowa Nursing Home Employees Indicted for Controlled Substance Offenses
Failure to safeguard controlled medications intended for residents may result in medication errors, survey citations with potential fines, and charges of fraud for drug diversion and the submission of false claims.
Compliance Perspective – Controlled Substances
Policies/Procedures: The Compliance and Ethics Officer with the Administrator and Director of Nursing will review the policies and procedures for storing and safeguarding controlled substances.
Training: The Compliance and Ethics Officer with the Director of Nursing and Consultant Pharmacist will ensure that staff are trained and competent in the process of medication reconciliation for controlled substances and how to respond in a timely manner to concerns about the misappropriation of residents’ medications, including possible medication errors.
Audit: The Compliance and Ethics Officer with the Consultant Pharmacist should personally conduct an audit by observing the medication reconciliation process on all shifts, noting any lapses in following the required protocols.
Government officials recently announced that six Iowa nursing home employees have been indicted for allegedly stealing controlled substances intended for residents and converting them for their own personal use. The defendants worked in six different nursing homes in southern Iowa and the Des Moines area.
The charges cited misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge, along with false statements related to healthcare matters. The controlled substances stolen included Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, and Tramadol pills, along with Fentanyl patches that were removed from nursing home residents.
The six women face possible penalties of up to four years in prison and fines up to $250,000 related to the charges. The potential penalties for making false statements relating to healthcare matters include up to five years in prison and fines up to $250,000.
