Caught in the Crossfire: When Trusted Colleagues Divert

Caught in the Crossfire: When Trusted Colleagues Divert

How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober? In an operating theatre, the stakes are even higher, and this conversation shows just how messy things can get when addiction and trust collide at the head of the bed. Host and pharmacist Terri Vidals chats with retired CRNA Carol Davis, who brings three powerful stories from decades in the OR.

Carol never diverted drugs herself, but she was repeatedly caught in the fallout when colleagues with substance use disorders made dangerous choices. This episode is aimed squarely at healthcare professionals—especially anaesthesia teams, OR nurses and pharmacists—who want real-life context behind policies, audits and drug diversion committees. Carol recalls being a student when an anaesthesia resident she relied on for help was secretly siphoning off fentanyl, leaving her patients unexpectedly “light” under anaesthesia.

Random syringe testing eventually pointed to him, but not before she’d been questioned and drug-tested herself. Years later, as chief CRNA, she watched a close friend and colleague—someone who had given anaesthesia to her own family—slide from hidden alcohol use into opioid diversion, even using Carol’s password in the pyxis. “It was awful, because, you know, I felt terrible that I hadn’t seen the signs,” she says.

A third story, involving an OR nurse found unconscious in an equipment room, shows how standard ED protocols like automatic drug screens can bring hidden problems to light. Terri and Carol swap practical reflections on shared passwords, time pressure, ERAS protocols, and the need for stronger collaboration between pharmacy and anaesthesia.

You’ll come away thinking hard about who you trust, how your systems actually work day to day, and whether you’d have the courage to speak up if something felt off. In your OR, is patient safety really a team sport, or just a slogan on the wall?