A Glasgow mental health nurse who took medication from hospital supply has been struck off from the register.
Ingrid Lee Lardy worked as a nurse in the Carrick Ward at the Priory Hospital in Glasgow where she treated patients with "acute psychiatric conditions and patients with drug and/ or alcohol addiction".
Miss Lardy admitted to charges put to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) of removing the medication - named Chlordiazepoxide or 'Librium' - from the hospital's stock cupboard, knowing she wasn't entitled to do so, as well as failing to keep the key to the medication cupboard securely on her. The incidents all occurred between October 23 and 31, 2019.
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Librium is a sedative and hypnotic medication that can be used to treat anxiety, insomnia and symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol and other drugs.
The hearing report reads: "Miss Lardy worked night shifts at the hospital and, as the nurse in charge, the keys to the dispensary and medication cabinets were routinely handed to her at the start of her shift.
"Upon an internal audit it was found that medication went missing on the ward when Miss Lardy held the keys."
Overnight between October 23 and 24, 2019, the report says 14 five milligrams and seven 10 milligram capsules of Librium went missing from the hospital stock.
Similarly, overnight October 29 and 30 the same year a further four 10 milligram Librium capsules went missing, and then finally between October 30 and 31, a further seventeen 10 milligram Librium capsules went missing from the hospital stock.
Having admitted to each of the charges against her, the NMC panel said Miss Lardy's actions where "serious" with concerns also raised that she "has not made efforts to disclose what the stolen medicines were used for or how they may be recovered".
The report reads: "The panel was of the view that the removal of medication that normally requires prescription without authority and the associated dishonesty were serious issues in respect of clinical practice. The panel noted that Miss Lardy’s actions were carried out on more than one occasion and involved medication that can be misused. This was of particular concern because there was no information as to what Miss Lardy did with the medication.
"The panel noted that Miss Lardy is an experienced nurse who was up to date on all relevant training. She would have been aware of the potential harm associated with the potency of the medication, especially when not properly secured in a mental health clinical setting with vulnerable patients. The panel noted that Miss Lardy did not provide any context around what led to her actions, nor how she would ensure repetition would not occur.
"The panel noted that her previous reflections demonstrated limited insight into her actions and that she also attempted to attribute blame to others during the investigation process. The panel found that Miss Lardy’s actions fell seriously short of the conduct and standards expected of a nurse and amounted to misconduct."
It continued: "The panel found that patients were put at risk of harm as a result of Miss Lardy’s misconduct. Miss Lardy’s misconduct breached a fundamental tenet of the nursing profession namely the need to promote professionalism and trust and to act honestly. She therefore damaged the reputation of the nursing profession."
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