MISSING, suspected stolen: 870 cases of missing medication have been reported from NSW hospitals in the last five years - most of them heavy-duty painkillers such as morphine, oxycodone, codeine and the heroin-replacing drug methadone, figures released by NSW Health reveal.

The worst record of any hospital is Royal North Shore, which had 70 reported losses or thefts. Closest behind it was Sutherland, Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital and St Vincent's with 25 each.

In the past year, there have been 167 drugs lost or stolen. There have been 24 cases of lost or stolen methadone in the past five years.

Andrew Clennell