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November 1, 2015 – Last night one Ottawa family found a prescription drug, dispensed by The Ottawa Hospital, in their child’s Halloween candy bag. The Ottawa Hospital is in contact with The Ottawa Police which investigated last night and, while the investigation is in its early stages, so far police have concluded the incident was not malicious.

Still, The Ottawa Hospital takes the incident seriously and is reviewing protocols and procedures.

The drug involved, Pregabalin, is widely used to treat post-operative pain. It is not a narcotic and it is not a controlled substance. Pregabalin is an analgesic for adults and, although not approved for use in children, it has a positive safety profile with a low risk of severe toxicity in children as young as 5 years old.

The medication is kept under lock and key on hospital premises and is generally prescribed to in-patients. The hospital is examining whether a patient took the 2 pills home, which is not standard policy.

We are reviewing all our policies and protocols in light of this incident. And, while the hospital can’t control whether a patient takes a medication home, we apologize for the concern this caused a family and a community.