Latest news with #Dilaudid
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Pharmacy hands Comox mom opioid instead of ADHD drugs for child, 9
A Comox couple is warning other parents to double check their children's prescriptions after a pharmacy wrongly dispensed opioids for their nine-year-old instead of ADHD medication. Sarah Paquin, mother of three young children, said the medication mixup could have been catastrophic for her son. 'As a parent, you worry enough as it is, and then to have such a close call like that, it really hits home.' Paquin said she went to the Shopper's Drug Mart pharmacy on Guthrie Road in Comox on May 28 to pick up her son's medication — dextroamphetamine, a stimulant used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. She said the employee had difficulty finding her son's medication. The employee asked for the boy's name multiple times, and initially couldn't find his name in the system, Paquin said. Once she dispensed the medication, the employee didn't read over the label or confirm information, as is the usual custom, the mom said. The next morning, Paquin's husband, David Paquin, hesitated before giving his son the medication, noting the pills were a different colour. When he checked the label, he saw the drug was the painkiller hydromorphone, which goes by the name Dilaudid. The patient's name on the hydromorphone label was a woman they didn't know. Hydromorphone is about five to seven times more potent than morphine, according to a Canadian Medical Association Journal study. Sarah Paquin said when her husband told her about the error, her heart sank until she realized their son hadn't been given the medication. 'We were like, Oh my God, that was such a close call,' said Paquin. 'It's terrifying. We were very upset about it.' David Paquin dropped his son off at school and went straight back to the pharmacy and spoke to the pharmacist, whom he described as visibly upset and apologetic. She refunded the money paid for the wrong medication, but still couldn't find the correct prescription. The order had to be refilled. The owner of the pharmacy called the couple Wednesday to reassure them their son's medication wasn't given to anyone else, 'which makes me feel a little bit better because on the flip side, I don't want my son's medication to hurt the wrong person either,' said Paquin. She posted her story on a local Facebook page to warn other parents, where she learned of other complaints about the same pharmacy employee, who has been suspended pending an internal investigation. Paquin has also filed a formal complaint with the College of Pharmacists of B.C. and was told by the college it would take about two weeks to investigate and follow up with the family. Paquin said she regretted not double-checking the label, a mistake she said she won't make again. She's warning other parents to exercise the same diligence. A West Shore couple spoke to the Times Colonist in March 2023 after a Langford pharmacy gave their son an oral suspension of sleep medication that was 14 times the prescribed dose. Paquin said she and her husband are unnerved by the 'what ifs' that replay in their minds. 'We could have given him this, sent him off to school not realizing, and he could have overdosed. He could have ended up in a coma and at the very least, probably would have had his stomach pumped.' In a statement, Loblaw, the parent company for Shopper's Drug Mart, called the mistake a case of 'human error' that shouldn't have happened. The company said controls are in place to minimize the risk of patients being handed the wrong prescription, and those controls will be reviewed by employees. The company said the pharmacy owner has reached out to the parents to apologize for any stress the incident caused and to outline corrective steps it's taking. ceharnett@
Ottawa Citizen
6 days ago
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
‘It's a relief they are closing': Controversial safe supply clinic to close in Chinatown
The Northwood Recovery clinic in Chinatown, which has stirred controversy among Chinatown residents, will be closing on June 9. Article content Article content The clinic was meant to be a 'safer supply' clinic, using a harm reduction approach to reduce the risk of overdose through prescription opioids. Instead, public drug use, violence and overdose deaths have only increased in the neighbourhood, concerning residents and businesses. Article content Article content 'It's a relief that they are closing,' Somerset ward Coun. Ariel Troster said. 'It was not working.' Article content Article content Troster said one of the main issues was that its primary physician, Dr. Suman Koka, was based in Sudbury, and dispenses prescriptions virtually. Article content Koka runs a network of addiction clinics across Ontario, including in Hamilton and North York. He has locations in Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie under the name Recovery North. Article content 'We saw an immediate uptick in crime, drug dealing, public drug use, disposal of Dilaudid bottles and needles all over the area after the Northwood clinic opened,' Troster said. 'Chinatown had the second-highest rate of overdoses in the city.' Article content The Ottawa Citizen was unable to reach Koka for comment, despite repeated attempts. Article content The loss of the Somerset West Community Health Centre's supervised consumption services added to the 'chaos', Troster said. This happened after the Ford government banned consumption sites within 200 metres of schools or daycares, which resulted in the closure of 10 sites across Ontario. Article content Article content 'Taking harm reduction services away is not helpful because people need to be alive if they're going to seek treatment,' she said. Article content Article content Ryan Turley, a board member of the Dalhousie Community Association, said they were pleased to hear of the clinic closing, after facing a long string of issues with Northwood that caused 'distress' in the community. Article content This included the use of Dilaudid, a type of opioid used to treat severe pain, which Turley said is often traded or sold for stronger drugs within the vicinity of the clinic. He said another issue they perceived was the lack of support given to Northwood patients after opioids were prescribed. Article content 'This also links back to the closure of the safe consumption and treatment site at Somerset West,' he said. 'There's nowhere for those people to do those drugs, where they can consume safely.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Nurse keeps her license, but now faces nine felony counts of stealing patient medications
(Photo illustration by Clark Kauffman/Iowa Capital Dispatch) An Iowa nurse who was allowed to keep her license under an agreement approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing last month is now facing nine felony counts of stealing patient medications. The board alleges Amber Herzmann, 44, was working as a travel nurse from June 2024 through September 2024. On Sept. 10, 2024, the board alleges, her employment contract was suspended due to suspicion of medication misappropriation. The board alleges a review of her charts suggests she was administering the narcotic painkiller fentanyl to women after they gave birth, although the drug is typically prescribed to patients during active labor. Multiple patients denied receiving the medication or the number of doses of medication Herzmann claimed to have administered, according to the board. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Herzmann's employer later submitted a report to the Drug Enforcement Administration indicating 14 vials of fentanyl and two syringes of hydromorphone were lost or were suspected of being stolen. The board charged Herzmann with misappropriation of patient medications. In resolving the case, the board agreed on April 10 to let Herzmann retain her license as a registered nurse, and Herzmann agreed to participate in the Iowa Practitioner Health Program, a program that offers assistance to health care professionals with substance abuse issues. Court records show that on April 24, two weeks after the board approved that settlement agreement, Herzmann was criminally charged with nine felony counts of unlawfully obtaining a prescription drug, plus one aggravated misdemeanor charge of tampering with records. Prosecutors allege that in October, November and December of 2024 — after her travel-nurse employment contract was suspended — Herzmann was working on the maternity floor of Mercy Hospital in Clinton where she claimed to have administered the narcotic painkillers fentanyl, oxycodone and Dilaudid to multiple patients but instead kept the drugs for her own purposes. Herzmann is scheduled to be arraigned on May 22, 2025. She has yet to enter a plea in the case. Other nurses recently sanctioned by the Iowa Board of Nursing include: — Stephanie Erdman, an advanced registered nurse practitioner who was charged with failing to assess and report the status of a patient, and failure to establish a relationship with a patient. The board alleges that at some unspecified time in the past, Erdman was working as the medical director of a medical spa where she prescribed drugs to a patient she didn't see and then failed to follow up with the patient. The board settled the case by requiring Erdman to complete 30 hours of educational training on clinical supervision and documentation. — Jean Havugimana, a licensed practical nurse who was recently charged by the board with leaving a nursing assignment without first ensuring the safety of his patients, and with committing an act or omission that might adversely affect a patient. According to the board, Havugimana was working a 12-hour overnight shift at The Views of Marion, which operates the Oakview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, on Jan. 27, 2024. On that night, Havugimana was the only nurse on duty to assist two certified nursing assistants in caring for roughly 40 residents. The facility's video surveillance allegedly shows Havugimana was inside the facility for less than three hours during his 12-hour shift, and that he repeatedly exited and reentered the building. The board alleges that during the night, the two CNAs were unable to reach Havugimana to assist with residents' needs; that Havugimana had the keys necessary to access residents' medications; and that he was the only person on duty authorized to administer medications. At one point during the night, Havugimana was 'observed in his vehicle, parked in the lot, playing loud music with a female passenger,' the board alleges. At a board hearing on the matter, Havugimana claimed he was working his shift as required, but was busy caring for patients in other areas of the building. According to the board, he offered no explanation as to why his colleagues couldn't locate him or reach him via their cellphones and walkie-talkies. In resolving the case, the board suspended Havugimana's license for one year and stipulated that after the license is reinstated, it will be placed on probationary status for one year. As part of that probation, Havugimana will have to complete additional educational training and submit to chemical screening. In 2009, the board charged Havugimana with falsely claiming to have completed his educational requirements for licensing and for failing to inform the board of a conviction for driving while barred as a habitual offender. The board suspended Havugimana's license as a result of those charges. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
CBC
28-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
Doctor operating safer supply clinics billed OHIP $2.5M last year
A doctor running a network of addiction clinics across Ontario, including an Ottawa location that offers safer opioid supply, is billing public insurance about $2.5 million per year. Dr. Suman Koka is the sole officer and director of Northwood Recovery, which has locations in North York, Hamilton and Manitoulin Island. It operates under the name Recovery North in Sudbury, Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie. Northwood Recovery opened its first Ottawa location in Hintonburg last year, but quietly moved it to Chinatown this March. Neighbours in both Hintonburg and Chinatown have criticized Koka for prescribing opioid medications to fentanyl users. They say his patients are trading the prescription drugs on the street to get harder substances, attracting dealers and crime to the area. City councillors representing both neighbourhoods have urged Northwood Recovery to change its operations or shut down. In an interview last month, Koka confirmed that the Ottawa clinic offers safer supply, a harm reduction approach intended to help users replace street drugs like fentanyl with safer prescription narcotics. Among other treatments, Koka prescribes hydromorphone, which is also known by the trade name Dilaudid. He confirmed that he primarily meets with patients at the Ottawa clinic remotely through telemedicine. CBC submitted a freedom of information request to the Ontario Ministry of Health seeking records of Koka's total billing to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). It reveals that he billed just over $2.3 million in 2023 and nearly $2.5 million in 2024. Those totals do not represent Koka's profit or take-home pay, since at least some of the money would be used to cover overhead costs at his clinics, which could include rent, supplies and administrative staff. But the totals are far in excess of typical billing. The average gross clinical payment for Ontario physicians was $388,557 in 2022-23, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Payments for the top quintile — the top 20 per cent of physicians by billing — were $568,432 on average. CBC also submitted a request for Koka's billing for telemedicine specifically. He billed $524,302 for virtual care services in 2024, including video and telephone consultations. The figures were current as of January 22 of this year. The documents include a note that physicians still have a three-month period to submit additional claims for processing. Koka had previously appeared on a Toronto Star database of highly paid doctors published in 2019. According to the Sudbury Star, which cited the Toronto Star's reporting, Koka billed $1.5 million in 2018-19, putting him in the top one per cent of doctors ranked by OHIP billing. Koka did not respond to a request this week with detailed questions about his 2023 and 2024 billing. He did not explain how he is able to personally see enough patients to bill millions of dollars per year, or whether he is delegating some of the care. But in a March interview, CBC asked him whether he was still one of Ontario's highest paid doctors. "I'm not sure about that, but I'll tell you I'm probably one of the hardest working doctors in Ontario," he said at the time. Previously cautioned for telemedicine practices Doug Angus, a professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa's Telford School of Management, said Koka would have to see a very high volume of patients to generate that kind of money. Angus, who specializes in health economics, said Koka's reliance on virtual care could allow him to cycle through patients quickly. "That's changed the game completely," he said. "There's a lot of general practitioners who would love to have that kind of situation, but there's no way they can generate that kind of gross income with face-to-face visits." He said that the ministry has tried to rein in high billers, but it's difficult to monitor. He said they haven't yet addressed the question of how many patients a doctor can effectively see. Koka's membership page on the College of Physicians and Surgeons website shows he has 15 practice locations, as well as hospital privileges at the Health Sciences North regional hospital in Sudbury. His medical professional corporation has 13 different addresses. The college cautioned him in 2019, after a patient complained that Koka didn't meet with him at all. Instead, a physician assistant at his office prescribed methadone after a virtual appointment. The college found no sign that the physician assistant had proper training — and noted that delegating care is only appropriate in the context of an existing doctor-patient relationship, which did not exist in that case. Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster met with Koka last month, along with area MPP Catherine McKenney. In a post to her website, Troster said she insisted on wraparound supports for patients and better security protocols during the meeting. She said the clinic has hired a security guard and a nurse and committed to removing people from the program if they divert their medications. In his March interview with CBC, Koka said Northwood Recovery takes drug diversion very seriously. He said patients found to be trading or selling their medications are discharged from the program. According to Koka, even suspicion can lead the clinic to put patients under a stricter regime where they must take doses on site. He said telemedicine has increased the number of people he is able to see, allowing more people to access addiction treatment. "Whether it's through video conference or whether through in person, the interaction is the same," he said.
CBC
16-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
More young people are dying from toxic drugs, warns chief medical examiner
Recent overdose victims were younger than 20. The youngest was just 14, says chief medical examiner 13 minutes ago Duration 1:08 Teenagers as young as 14 years old are dying from drug overdoses in recent "gut-wrenching" incidents, says Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical examiner. Dr. Nash Denic joined the RCMP in a press conference Wednesday. Cocaine is now the leading drug responsible for overdose deaths in Newfoundland and Labrador, according to the RCMP. It comes a day after CBC News published a months-long investigation exposing the province's deadly cocaine problem and tracking the drugs from Colombia to Canada, and eventually to Labrador communities. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported 61 drug-related deaths in the province last year, 34 of them from cocaine. CBC News has reported deaths from cocaine have spiked since 2014. "The drugs currently on the market cannot be trusted," Denic said, referring both to cocaine and counterfeit drugs that have gained popularity among young people recently. Some of those substances include pressed pills made of bromazolam, methamphetamine and MDMA, also known as ecstasy, disguised as Xanax; as well as fake Dilaudid composed of protonitazine, a synthetic opioid over 20 times more potent than fentanyl. "If you can just imagine, imagine the two grains of salt-size fentanyl is enough to produce death in individuals, you can only imagine how much you need of the new opioid," said Denic. Denic also told reporters some youth are trying drugs at a very young age, so they wouldn't have any built-up tolerance. Even if they did, Denic says, new opioids such as nitazenes — which are sometimes cut into other drugs — are extremely toxic. WATCH | Police say cocaine is getting stronger in N.L.: Cocaine is getting stronger — and growing more deadly — says, chief medical examiner 54 minutes ago Duration 2:03 Members of the RCMP and Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical say cocaine is the leading drug responsible for overdose deaths in the province. The statement follows a CBC News report showing the drug's effect on families in Labrador. Ryan Cooke explains. He says the individuals who recently died from counterfeit drugs were younger than 20 years old. The youngest recent victim is 14 years old, Denic said. "You never know which line is going to kill you," he said, going back to the topic of cocaine. Overdose symptoms Jane Henderson, a harm reduction consultant with Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, says harm reduction is an evidence-based approach that recognizes substance use is part of our communities and aims to reduce the consequences associated with it. Henderson added the Good Samaritan Act legally protects people who seek emergency help during an overdose. "Overdoses can happen to anyone," she said, and knowing the signs can save a life. Signs may include: Slow or no breathing, Blue lips or fingertips, Choking and gurgling sounds, Unresponsiveness. In the case of an opioid overdose, naloxone may help before emergency services arrive. Naloxone kits are free and readily available across the province, says Henderson. Naloxone does not work for cocaine overdoses. "To those of you who are using drugs, your life matters. You deserve safety, dignity and support," said Henderson. "We understand that when abstinence is not realistic, there are ways for you to stay safer."
