A former Montreal auxiliary nurse has been suspended after admitting to stealing 800 vials of morphine and hydromorphone two years ago from the Lakeshore Hospital emergency department.

The theft happened in the span of less than two months when the auxiliary nurse, Sam Ahmadi, was going through a difficult time in his life after the recent death of his father and sister, according to a disciplinary decision published earlier this month by the Quebec nurses’ order.

The decision also noted that, at the time of the thefts, Ahmadi had developed an opioid addiction after he was prescribed Dilaudid for chronic pain following two knee surgeries. He stole the vials between August and October 2024 from the medication dispenser and was later fired by his employer in April 2025.

Ahmadi was criminally charged and on March 2, 2026, he pleaded guilty to theft over $5,000 and possession of an illicit substance. He was given an absolute discharge, which means there are no conditions to follow and the sentence is erased from his record after one year.

“The Board is of the opinion that the violations … should be sanctioned. Indeed, these violations undermine the dignity of the profession and the trust that the public is entitled to have in auxiliary nurses. The practice of a profession is a privilege that requires compliance with ethical obligations,” the disciplinary decision stated.

The Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers auxiliaires du québec agreed with a joint submission to issue a suspension of six months.

Ahmadi, who has been a member of the order since 2015 and had no prior disciplinary record, expressed regret and remorse for his actions, and cooperated fully with the investigation, the ruling said.

Since the theft, the former worker no longer suffers from opioid addiction and has taken steps to get his life back on track, including seeing a therapist at a rehab centre. He has found work in other fields and despite the guilty plea, he hopes to one day return to his profession.