The American Nurses Association (ANA) says approximately 10% of nurses are dependent on drugs, making the incidence of drug abuse and addiction among nurses consistent with that with the U.S. population
Alteration of Prescriptions
I recently represented a registered nurse who was accused of altering a prescription. The nurse was employed at a local hospital in the outpatient surgery unit. The patient was given a prescription by a doctor for morphine 10mg. The pharmacist told the patient that the pill only came in 15mg. tablets. The patient conveyed this information to the nurse. The nurse contacted the doctor who instructed the nurse to write a new prescription for morphine15mg tablets and sign the doctor's name to the prescription. The nurse made a note on the original prescription, writing on it "15". Her intention was to contact her supervisor so that the doctor could write a new prescription.
