A Drexel Hill medical technician's drinking and drug problem were one and the same, according to Upper Darby police, who arrested the man for allegedly stealing morphine and fentanyl syringes from his employer that he then emptied and drank as pain-killer cocktails.
Ronald Ferrell, 35, began working for STAT Medical Transport of Drexel Hill in September 2011, according to police, and it took his employer just three months to notice that Ferrell's patients seemed to be going through morphine and fentanyl like Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo on a bad day in Las Vegas.
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said before Ferrell began his employment with STAT, the company had gone through just two morphine syringes and four fentanyl syringes in seven months. However, in the three months after Ferrell was hired, they went through 28 morphine syringes and 26 fentanyl syringes, Chitwood said.
The company started its own internal investigation and conducted random drug tests on its employees, according to police. Ferrell turned up hot for morphine and STAT Medical Transport contacted Upper Darby police, who brought Ferrell in for questioning, Chitwood said.
During police interviews, Ferrell admitted to taking the syringes on at least 12 or 15 occasions, emptying them and then drinking the contents, Chitwood said. He was doing this on top of taking Percocet and Dilaudid, two prescription pain killers, according to police.
Ferrell allegedly told police he was doing it to alleviate the pain from his Crohn's disease but Chitwood called him an "addict."
"He became addicted to his own profession and now he's a street criminal," Chitwood said. "You can't steal from your employer and he was stealing morphine and fentanyl."
Chitwood said it was lucky Ferrell didn't injure any patients he may have treated.
"It's kind of a scary proposition," Chitwood said. "You have someone addicted to this pain medication and he's treating people who need help. What's to stop him from overdosing an individual who is really sick?"
Ferrell was charged with a dozen counts of theft, receiving stolen property and related charges. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on February 28.
- Dope for the dope. Some stories write themselves.— jimmymack
- Is the giant photo necessary? It's really tough to read the article with that ugly mug staring directly at you..— DelcoSchmelco
- Idiot, there are some truly good treatments for Kron's diease, but you have to go to a doctor for them, not the med cabinet in the bus you drive....— unbelieveable!
- "It's kind of a scary proposition," Chitwood said. "You have someone addicted to this pain medication and he's treating people who need help. What's to stop him from overdosing an individual who is really sick?"
I'd venture to guess that he'd be stopped by the fact that he'd prefer to take the meds himself? Of perhaps by the fact that as a tech he isn't pulling doses himself, he's cracking a pre-filled syringe when he doses a patient...
— SCCL 
Comment removed.- The Tonner will just stick to his Genny Cream Ale thank you. Just drinking the Genny gets the Tonner in enough trouble.— hunglikeaton
- Ah nothing like a shot of morphine in your drink to pick you up after a tough day. Of course if I lived in Delaware County I'd be looking for morphine also.— neddyflanders
- Lacking the brains to do a decent coverup - he should focus his career on politics. That way he wouldn't need to try to cover their tracks.— Beethoven987
- Ain't addiction great?! He's 35 years old and drinking the morphine supplies of his employer as if nobody would mind this? Adults are supposed to be contributing to society through productive work. Sad thing is there are probably a lot of other mo-mos out there.— Falls Ed
- The face of society whacked out on drugs. Wow must be a mistake. lol— Thugbuster
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no.
"one AND the same".