Man steals pain medication from hospital pharmacy

ENGLEWOOD – Police are looking for a man they say robbed the Swedish Medical Center pharmacy at gunpoint, getting away with prescription painkillers.

Englewood Police say a man walked in on Monday, pointed the gun at the clerks and demanded fentanyl, a medication that is given to chronic pain and cancer patients. Nearly $1,000 worth of narcotics was taken.

"He actually pointed, using the handgun, at the drugs that he wanted," said Investigator John Hoehler with the Englewood Police Department.

Police say the man made the four employees get on the floor before he left. No one was injured.

Authorities say fentanyl is similar to morphine, but more potent.

"It's about 100 times the potency of morphine," said David Twitchell, critical care specialist at Swedish.

It is administered through a patch that can be changed every three days.

"There are several ways somebody can abuse it. If they simply put it on as a pain patient would, it would give them euphoric affect, like taking morphine would give you, some degree of a high. It would also make you sleepy. For someone who's never taken narcotics, taking this dose has a potential to kill them," said Twitchell.

The suspect is described as white, 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 6 inches, with a thin build. He weighs 135 to 140 pounds and was wearing an orange Broncos cap with a dark blue coat.

If you have any information you are urged to call the Englewood Police Department at 303-762-2460.