Former Monash Health nurse Emily Bohmer stole fentanyl and other drugs from Dandenong Hospital
An ex-Monash Health nurse stole deadly and potent drugs which she gave to herself and a patient while working at a southeast hospital.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A former Monash Health nurse could see her clinical career go down the drain after she stole lethal opioids including fentanyl and Oxycodone.
Emily Bohmer admitted stealing the highly addictive and potent drugs while working as a nurse at Dandenong Hospital in December 2018.
Bohmer stole the fentanyl – a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin – and morphine, Oxycodone, Endones and other drugs.
The now unregistered nurse was the subject of a professional misconduct hearing at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on Thursday.
The tribunal heard “allegations” Bohmer stole the drugs during multiple hospital shifts.
Bohmer used the drugs herself but also gave some away to other people including a patient without “clinical justification”, the tribunal was told.
The tribunal was told Bohmer dodged a criminal conviction for her conduct after she pleaded guilty to a rolled-up charge of theft at an earlier Magistrates’ Court hearing.
Bohmer stole 125 micrograms of fentanyl according to a magistrates’s court transcript partly read out at the tribunal.
Bohmer manipulated hospital records including recording drugs she had pocketed for herself as “discarded”.
The crafty nurse signed out drugs from the drugs registry but there was no record any of those drugs were dispensed to patients, the tribunal heard.
Senior Monash Health staff quizzed Bohmer after “discrepancies were identified”.
Bohmer admitted her misconduct, telling staff she was a “disgusting person” before resigning via email on December 27.
“I sorrily accept fault and responsibility for the 13 allegations made against me,” Bohmer said in her resignation email.
Investigators discovered cocaine at Bohmer’s home in January 2019.
Bohmer told police she “only took those drugs to feel happy”.
Jeff Simpson, for the Nursing and Midwifery Board, called for Bohmer to be disqualified from reapplying for her nurse’s registration for 12 months.
“We have the number of thefts,” he said.
“We allege this occurred 14 times over the course of two shifts.
“There is the highly restricted nature of schedule eight medication. There is a risk of misuse, the risk of abuse, a risk of dependence, and in fact this has been realised to some extent in Ms Bohmer’s case.
“There is the risk to patient safety arising where medical records have not been completed fully and accurately …
“There is the further concern Ms Bohmer stole these drugs but then went on to self-administer these by injection, which is a danger to her own health and wellbeing.”
Mr Simpson said there was “general admissions” by Bohmer which sufficiently proved the allegations against her.
“The Magistrates’ Court admission is the most weighty in my opinion,” he said.
Senior Member Jonathan Smithers will deliver the tribunal’s decision at a later date.
