January 15, 2019

Hospital: Doc gave near-death patients excessive pain meds

An Ohio hospital system says an intensive care doctor ordered "significantly excessive and potentially fatal" doses of pain medicine for at least 27 near-death patients in the past few years after families asked to stop lifesaving measures.

The Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System says it fired the doctor, notified authorities and removed 20 employees from pending further investigation. Those include pharmacists and nurses who administered medication.

The announcement came after a family sued, alleging medicine was used to hasten a patient's death. The was filed Monday against the , a pharmacist, a nurse and the doctor, which it identifies as William Husel.

Case records list no attorney to comment on Husel's behalf. There is no public personal phone listing for him.

© 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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