Computer Glitch Blamed for Narcotics Inventory Error at N.Y. Ambulance Service

Dec. 27--WATERTOWN -- Town officials are blaming a computer glitch with its narcotics inventory for prompting the town of Watertown Ambulance Service to go offline for a couple of days earlier this month.

Town Supervisor Joel R. Bartlett confirmed on Monday that the problem arose after the ambulance service upgraded its computer system, causing staff members not to have access to its secured narcotics inventory.

Staff members could not get at the controlled substances during ambulance calls because their old individual pin numbers "no longer worked," so they could not open the squad's new "locked boxes" located in the ambulances, Mr. Bartlett said.

The ambulance service's controlled substances are stored in locked safes in each of the two ambulances, Mr. Bartlett said.

He stressed that all of the narcotics were accounted for and the problem was quickly sorted out. Both ambulances were back on the road in a couple of days.

"Nothing ever was missing," he said.

During the few days that Watertown could not dispense narcotics, neighboring ambulance corps helped on those calls, Mr. Bartlett said.

As a result of the problem, the ambulance service conducted a review of its inventory of controlled medical substances. The state Department of Health also was called in to help with the review.

The North Country Emergency Management System Agency, an organization that helps area ambulance squads, also helped Watertown work through the problem.

At the time, state Health Department officials also stressed that it was an issue with their computer system that secures and manages controlled substances medication, but they did not believe that "there was a loss, theft or diversion of the narcotics."

David C. Roof, Watertown ambulance squad president, and state Health Department officials could not be reached for comment on Monday.

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