Hospital worker held
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A drug storage official at Central Memorial Hospital has been arrested on charges of stealing 5,000 pseudoephedrine tablets and forging purchase orders for 370,000 tablets.
Police told a press conference yesterday that their investigation found that from May-September of last year, Phitsinee Prasertsri (Thidaporn Khampopk), 32, had reportedly taken the cold and sinus tablets containing pseudoephedrine on various occasions out of the hospital for resale.
While police were probing other cases of disappearing pseudoephedrine tablets, they were contacted by Central Memorial Hospital in Muang district about suspicious drug orders and missing medicine.
The hospital also had its representative file a complaint at the Muang Chiang Mai Police Station.
The investigation started last Thursday and a warrant for her arrest was approved.
Police said the suspect would use correction fluid to blank |out the pharmaceutical company’s name on purchase |orders and also the quantity |of medicine, then write the names of two other companies and the new quantity on the orders before photocopying and faxing them to the other companies.
When the medicine was delivered, she allegedly smuggled them out to resell them.
Police were gathering evidence for arrest warrants for two or three people at the drug companies who were involved in this crime.
The drug route was also being traced to see if the pills were used to produce illicit drugs.
Waranya Lertworakitpipat, the hospital director, said the hospital usually uses 500 such tablets a year and orders only a small amount each time.
