Evidently Nancy Wilcox, in her April 25 letter, didn’t understand my letter of April 15.
I have nothing but the utmost respect for Androscoggin Home Health and Hospice, and I have never had problems with the Department of Health and Human Services.
Those organizations were called and people there told me there is no law regarding the proper disposal of drugs given to a patient after the patient is deceased. I was told the drugs are left to the family to dispose of. Hospice nurses are responsible for the drug kits brought in by them. I was told the family is responsible for mailing it to them, but sometimes the hospice nurse will remove it after the patient dies.
My concern is the narcotics OxyContin and oxycodone that the doctor ordered for the patient and are left for the family to dispose.
People I talked with agreed that some laws need to be enacted to monitor the situation, as there are none at present. Narcotics are monitored in the hospital or in the nursing home, but can easily be abused in a home situation as there is seldom any accountability. That is my concern.
I would like to see a law that mandates AHHH to monitor/oversee narcotics in the home and the proper disposal of such dangerous drugs. They can’t do it until a law is made.
Elected representatives in Augusta need to be made aware and get it done.
Mary Jane Newell, South Paris
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