Prosecutors say Shore Medical pharmacist stole morphine, replaced it with saline
If anyone should be the most educated about the consequences of abusing medications… a Pharmacist should be high on that list… but .. apparently this particular Pharmacist’s mental health disease of addictive personality disorder has a much larger impact on his life than his education ?
MAYS LANDING – A former pharmacist at Shore Medical Center was indicted and arrested this week on charges that he stole morphine intended for intravenous use and replaced it with saline, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain said Thursday, Jan. 21.
Frederick P. McLeish, 53, of Egg Harbor Township was arrested and taken into custody without incident 9:30 a.m. Jan. 21 at his Windsor Drive home on a warrant issued by Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Pamela M. Wild after being indicted by an Atlantic County grand jury on charges of drug tampering, theft by unlawful taking, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
According to the indictment, McLeish removed morphine from vials intended for the preparation of patient intravenous solutions at Shore Medical and replaced the missing volume with a saline solution.
The state alleges that the incidents occurred between July and September of 2014, when McLeish was working at Shore Medical.
An internal inquiry initiated by the hospital led to an investigation by the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety’s Division of Consumer Affairs and a subsequent criminal investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office. Shore Medical suspended McLeish from work in September 2014 and ultimately terminated his employment.
In December 2014 McLeish surrendered his state pharmacy license to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs State Board of Pharmacy.
On Jan. 21 he was processed by Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office detectives and lodged in the county jail in lieu of $20,000 cash bail, 10 percent, set by Wild.
Detective Michael Peterson of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office led the criminal investigation. Assistant Prosecutor Aaron Witherspoon represented the state before the grand jury.
Filed under: General Problems
” I became a pharmacist to abuse drugs” his words.
The video is about a paramedic, by the way, not a pharmacist, but I also saw the article mentions pharmacist
Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, denitists, veterinarians all become addicted at the same rate or higher than general population. They need treatment like any addict. No mystery here. He also will have soul searching to do before he ever tries to return to a job of a trusted position… can be be trusted by changing his ways? His conscience and plenty of monitoring will be necessary for 5 yrs minimum…