In spite of safeguards at Chattanooga hospitals that include restricted rooms, heavy surveillance, pill counts performed each shift and dispensing machines that track every drug withdrawal, a thief was able to repeatedly steal painkillers at all three of Chattanooga, Tenn.'s major downtown hospitals, according to an article on the Times Free Press website.
When the thief was eventually apprehended by Erlanger Hospital security guards, he wearing scrubs and posing as a surgeon.
Officials at the hospitals said they have strict rules about employee IDs, and tight measures to prevent medicine theft. State and federal regulations have recently tightened standards on both fronts.
Parkridge Medical Center officials said after the theft they are taking steps to "evaluate the security" of their drug dispensing procedures.
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