FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 20, 2006

CONTACT:                                                               
Nanci Gonder
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062

State Health Department Releases Alert on Medications Stolen from Local Health Facility

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is alerting residents in and around Ripley County of the health risks posed by exposure to medications recently stolen from a health facility in Doniphan.

Among the various drugs stolen were 27 vials of succinylcholine. With effects similar to those of curare, succinylcholine is a strong muscle relaxant used with anesthesia while intubating patients in hospitals. Because this drug paralyzes the muscles responsible for breathing, it can be deadly if misused. The drug is never to be handled or used by anyone who is not a highly trained medical professional and unless artificial respiration and oxygen are present to be administered. 

Local police believe that the people who stole these drugs do not know what they have or the danger involved.  If a person decides to administer or ingest this drug, the results will most likely be fatal. Succinylcholine usually comes in a vial that is powder and has to be mixed with sterile water. However, it is not known what form the drugs were in at the time of the theft.

Also stolen were blood pressure medicine and tetanus injection medication. The thief or thieves broke into a medication storage unit and removed all of the drugs and also took syringes. 

These drugs are not considered controlled substances and are outside the authority of DHSS and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. However, because the drugs pose a substantial health risk, DHSS is alerting people in the area to the situation.

Anyone with information about the theft or the location of the drugs should contact local law enforcement or medical authorities immediately.