By Katie Thomas / New York Times News Service
Published: November 17. 2012 4:00AM
Paul Davis, the chief of a rural ambulance squad in southern Ohio, was down to his last vial of morphine earlier this fall when a woman with a broken leg needed a ride to the hospital.
The trip was 30 minutes, and the patient was in pain. But because of a nationwide shortage, his morphine supply had dwindled from four doses to one, presenting Davis with a stark quandary. Should he treat the woman, who was clearly suffering? Or should he save it for a patient who might need it more?
In the end, he opted not to give her the morphine, a decision that haunts him still.
“I just feel like I’m not doing my job," said Davis, who is chief of the rescue squad in Vernon, Ohio.
He has since refilled his supply.
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