Strong medicine has been stolen from the emergency room in Motala.
Which in the wrong hands can be life-threatening.
– It can cause you to stop breathing, says Fredrik Schiöler, medical officer at Region Östergötland.
Inside the emergency department at Motala hospital, a small amount of medicine was stolen on Saturday night, which P4 Östergötland was the first to report on.
The medicines can be life-threatening if they are used in the wrong way.
– These are potent drugs that are dangerous to use. They cause the respiratory muscles to relax, which can lead to you stopping breathing, says Fredrik Schiöler.
“Fall into the wrong hands”
The medicines contain benzodiazepines and opioids, which in case of overdose can risk death in opioid addicts.
– We are worried about the individuals who have addiction problems. The medicines have a drug effect and you can get into trouble if they end up in the wrong hands, says Fredrik Schiöler.
Usually locked up
In the emergency room, the drugs are used for pain relief and anesthesia. They are usually locked in a cupboard – which has been broken open.
– We do not yet know exactly what has broken. We have reported the theft to the police and are looking into whether there has been a breakdown in routines or whether it is an individual mistake, says Fredrik Schiöler.