Special report. Drug theft from hospital pharmacies: lessons from the 'Syracuse scam'

Theft and drug diversion by employees from hospital pharmacies pose increasing security concerns for institutions as evidenced by the indictment in May 1996 by an Onondaga County, Syracuse, NY, grand jury of four men--one an associate hospital pharmacy director--on charges relating to the theft and resale of more than $3 million in prescription drugs from two Syracuse hospitals over an eight-year period. The drugs were used to treat cancer patients. In this report, we'll give you in-depth details of what was stolen and how it was stolen. We'll present some advice from experts on how to prevent your hospital from becoming vulnerable to such large-scale losses. And we'll give you insight into a vast black market that may indicate that what took place at the two Syracuse hospitals may not be an isolated occurrence.