Ron O'Brien, the Franklin County prosecutor who recently charged a former Mount Carmel Hospital physician with the murder of 25 patients, won't charge the nurses or pharmacists at the health system as co-conspirators in the criminal complaint, according to a WOSU news report.
Mr. O'Brien said the employees were simply acting on the physician's orders to give excessive doses of pain mediation to the dozens of patients.
Forty-eight former and current employees of the Columbus, Ohio-based system were under review after allegations emerged that William Husel, DO, ordered fatal doses of pain medication for nearly three dozen patients.
At least 25 nurses have been cited by the Ohio Board of Nursing for their alleged involvement in the excessive doses. Those nurses risk losing their licenses to practice. Several pharmacists have been referred to the Ohio Pharmacy Board for potential discipline.
Some of the nurses and pharmacists have been named in civil lawsuits.
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