CNN 2010-02-27

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PHILLIPS: A crack in the system. An Ohio hospital pharmacist is now out of prison, but his case could have long-range repercussions¹ keeping any future medical mistakes quiet. The hospital's dirty little secret. The CNN's David Mattingly investigates. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT² (voice-over): In 2006, Eric Cropp was a pharmacist at a Cleveland Hospital when a 2- year-old cancer patient Emily Jerry was killed by the medical error of a pharmacy³ technician. She was given a chemotherapy drug mixed with a salt solution 23 times more concentrated than the normal dose.

But because Eric Cropp was the supervising⁴ pharmacists and should have caught the mistake, he was sent to jail. And that's where I found him, confused and struggling with regrets.

Do you think it was your fault?

ERIC CROPP, FORMER PHARMACIST: In a way, sometimes, because I have been called everything in the media and the way my co-workers have treated me, it's been hard.

MATTINGLY: But not as hard as it has been for Emily Jerry's mom.

KELLY JERRY, EMILY'S MOTHER: She would go up and down the slide. First thing was the middle,  was still on those child safety swings.

MATTINGLY: After Emily's death, Kelly Jerry pushed for laws in Ohio requiring new training and certification for pharmacy workers.

(on camera): Cropp says the mistake that killed Emily Jerry came on a day when he was overloaded⁵ and rushed. These are common complaints throughout the nation's medical system and patient safety advocates warn that cases like this might actually make it harder to change the conditions where tragic⁶ errors are made.

MICHAEL COHEN, INST. FOR SAFE MEDICATION PRACTICES: And people are going to be afraid to come forward and identify problems that they've been involved with, because of fear for losing their license⁷, or in this case, they even have criminal charges brought against you.

MATTINGLY: Michael Cohen of the Institute for State Medication Practices was among experts sending letters to the judge, calling Cropp an easy target, saying, "the greater good is served by focusing on system issues that allow tragedies like this to happen."

But in the court's eyes, Cropp had no excuse for missing the mistake that killed Emily Jerry. He's serving six months for involuntary manslaughter. He will never work as a pharmacist again.

David Mattingly, CNN, Cleveland.