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Wrongful Death

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BERRY0199

Junior Member
What is the name of your state?INDIANA

:mad:
My friends father just passed away under some very how shall I say "questionable" circumstances. His wife is a nurse practioner and she has been writing perscriptions for him (for some time now)and treating him for phnuemonia. He was then hospitalized and they found cancer. He then requested to be released and refused treatment because he'd rather have quality of life than quantity. She went to his house the Monday before christmas so her children could have christmas with their grandfather. He was doing fine and in good spirits with no complaints. By Wednesday she (my friend) was notified that he was in pain and that her stepmother had wrote a perscription for morphine and got it filled and was dispensing said medication to her father. By Thursday he had passed away. I'm just curious about a few things. 1. I believe it is against the law for her to dispense medications to family members. 2. How could she get perscriptions filled that she wrote herself? 3. Isn't there a code they take when they get their license?I really appreciate some input back.

Thanks,
Becky
 


S

seniorjudge

Guest
What were the questionable circumstances? (You said a man suffering from pneumonia and cancer died, but I missed where you detailed the questionable circumstances.)

Was an autopsy performed?

How old was he?

Did he use tobacco, alcohol, or any other drugs?
 

BERRY0199

Junior Member
The questionable circumstance was that she was diagnosing him at home and medicating him before he finally felt bad enough to go to a doctor. He did not have phnuemonia. But she was treating him for it and writing him perscritions for it. He did not smoke, use drugs, or drink. He was 61 years old.
 
S

seniorjudge

Guest
Was he competent? I mean by that, could he make his own decisions about his own health and his property?
 

BERRY0199

Junior Member
He requested an autopsy be performed to figure out the exact kind of cancer he had that way his children could know what it was so they could keep an eye out for it. She (his wife) decided not to have an autopsy performed.
 
S

seniorjudge

Guest
How did he request this autopsy?

Through the hospital?

Did he tell his kids he wanted an autopsy?

What was her reason for not wanting an autopsy?
 
S

seniorjudge

Guest
Have the kids thought about a criminal investigation (i.e., calling the cops)?
 

BERRY0199

Junior Member
Yes he requested it through the hospital. He also notified his chikdren of his wish. Ger reason that was givin "There was no use for one" this raised many questions in my mind. Like why would you not want one, Unless she overdosed him on the morphine. There would be no real reason to not get one.
 

BERRY0199

Junior Member
Yes my friend has but she's not real sure about the steps she needs to take. Does she contact the Attorney General, The hospital this is where it gets gray for her.
 
S

seniorjudge

Guest
Tell her to go to the cops.

Try to get as many prescriptions and bottles as you can.

She (stepmom) may have just been trying to ease his passing; she might be incompetent but she may not be a criminal either.

Anyway, post back with results, okay?
 

BERRY0199

Junior Member
What if we can't attain bottles can we request the perscritions somehow??? What about her license???? Is there anything we can do in that regard???
 

rmet4nzkx

Senior Member
Third hand this man sound different than reality.
A nurse practioner can write Rx under the supervision of a medical doctor, and it is not unusual for nurses to work with patients in the field and medical personal may treat family members with some exceptions. So while it may have appeared that she was doing this on her own, most likely she was supervised. It is possible that his cancer was undetected because it was a silent but deadly form and the pnenomia was a symptom only after it was too late. Terminal patients are often made comfortable with morphine and it may shut down the systems in the matter of a few days, sometimes it does the oppisite. This happens every day, at home, in nursing homes and in hospitals although they usually send the terminal patient home to die. This is a sad thing, because families often don't realize how close to death the person is or how quick the Morphine works. This can be reported, but most likely it is something along these lines.
 

BERRY0199

Junior Member
She was not writing the prescriptions under the supervision of a doctor. He did not have pnuemonia at all. The hospital did not dispense any morphine and he was not having any pain until she (his wife) said he was on Wednesday and he died Thursday. After she got him morphine on Wednesday night.
 

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