It takes all sorts – theft from sharps bin

Theft of sharps bins can be quite common in some cities, as we have noted previously on the Clinical Waste Discussion Forum, but is less common now than it used to be, presumably as illegal drugs are far more readily obtainable. However, there’s always one….

A patient in the Emergency Room at Rockdale Medical Center is facing charges for allegedly stealing discarded needles and drugs from a sharps container in the room.

According to the incident report filed by Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Dawn Murrain, 28-year-old Warren Scott Summers Jr. pulled the sharps box from the wall and apparently dropped it on the floor, causing the box to break open.

A doctor told the deputy when he was coming in the room to check on Summers, a chair was blocking the closed door.

“As he made entry into the room by pushing the door open, he observed that there was a male patient pacing around the room, there was a Sharp Box on the floor broken open, and he saw the contents of the Sharp Box, which contained used needles, syringes and vials of medicine were strewn across the floor,” Murrain stated in the report.

The doctor called for the charge nurse and security. The charge nurse told Murrain that she saw Summers take a used IV needle catheter from the Sharps Box and begin to chew on it.

“She said she observed that there were several items which he stole from the Sharps Box and cabinets, which were found in the male patient’s pants,” the report states.

A hospital security guard searched Summers while waiting for the Sheriff’s Office deputy to arrive.

“Warren stated that he stood up from his hospital bed, accidentally fell and leaned against the red box, which fell to the floor,” Murrain reported. “He said that he tried to pick up the contents of the red box, and only placed some of the contents in his pockets by accident. He said he was rushing to get the items back into the box and didn’t mean to put the items in his pants pocket.”

According to the report, authorities found two large syringes, two small syringes, two used morphine bottles, a prescription bottle of Clonazepam in Summers’ name that contained seven different prescription pain relievers, and eight Clonazepam pills.

Summers, of 955 Rambling Roase Court, was not detained, pending medical clearance from the hospital, but is charged with criminal trespass, theft by taking, possession of controlled substances and drugs to be kept in their original container.

http://www.newtoncitizen.com/news/2014/jun/14/patient-charged-with-stealing-pills-syringes-from/

 

 

 

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