WASHINGTON, D.C. – After unearthing several problems involving addictive drugs, the federal government made security of narcotics one of the top priorities in its annual review of Indian Health Services (IHS).
So far, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has released five reports describing problems encountered in IHS facilities. The Lawton Indian Hospital in Oklahoma failed to meet security standards for narcotics at its main pharmacy and lacked an automatic dispensing unit in the emergency room. In the same state, the Anadarko Indian Health Center and clinics in Tahlequah fell short of the audit’s requirements. Clinics in Santo Domingo, N.M., and the Santa Fe Indian Hospital were likewise vulnerable to theft.
A recent court case also brought Montana into the spotlight. This spring, 29-year-old nurse Lesley Kipp pleaded guilty to shooting up leftover morphine from the Blackfeet Community Hospital where she formerly worked.
Officials at the Billings Area Office, which supervises Montana and Wyoming, said all of their clinics are in compliance with the government’s security requirements for narcotics. The OIG has not said whether they plan to inspect Montana as well.
