Reports show former doctor overrode warnings, approvals

An inspection by the Ohio Department of Health reveals that, in 24 of 27 patient records reviewed, a Mount Carmel West hospital doc- tor was able to access powerful pain medications by using overrides to get past warnings and, in most cases, pharmacist pre-approvals.

Details of the Jan. 18 findings are outlined in a plan of correction that Mount Carmel Health System prepared for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services following the firing of Dr. William Husel, an intensive-care physician accused of ordering excessive doses of painkiller for 34 near-death patients, with amounts at fatal levels for 28.

Sources previously told The Dispatch that Husel was able to override the system by using emergency medication orders.

But the inspection report indicates that this is how he accessed the meditation in a vast majority of cases.

The health system has publicly said that it reviewed and revised policies and increased education efforts after Husel’s Dec. 5 firing. The documents released Tuesday give details of plans for Mount Carmel West hospital in Franklinton and Mount Carmel St. Ann’s hospital in Westerville.

The inspection reports, which reviewed 27 cases dating back to Feb. 10, 2015, say the hospitals failed to ensure a system was in place to pre- vent large doses of “central nervous system” medications, such as fentanyl, Versed, Dilaudid and morphine, from being accessed by override.

In general, a me d ication ordered by a doctor is approved by a pharmacist and released electronically, allowing a nurse to access it through a cabinet, called a Pyxis, in the patientcare area.