© 2024 Public Radio Tulsa
800 South Tucker Drive
Tulsa, OK 74104
(918) 631-2577

A listener-supported service of The University of Tulsa
classical 88.7 | public radio 89.5
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Manufacturer Asks Oklahoma to Return Midazolam

Oklahoma Department of Corrections

As the U.S. Supreme Court weighs Oklahoma’s use of a controversial sedative for lethal injection, a manufacturer is trying to put a stop to its use.

Illinois-based company Akorn manufactures the sedative midazolam, which has been used in Oklahoma’s last two executions, as well as a form of hydromorphone that can also be used for lethal injections.

The company sent Attorney General Scott Pruitt a letter in March just released by news outlet Oklahoma Watch. The company’s attorney has asked the state to return any drugs purchased for executions for a full refund, noting their use in capital punishment contradicts FDA-approved uses and may violate the Controlled Substances Act.

In a statement, Pruitt spokesman Aaron Cooper said manufacturers are being pressured by anti-death penalty activists, and the attorney general will defend the state’s ability to carry out lethal inejctions.

Despite lower-court approval, there’s doubt midazolam can keep inmates unconscious when the drugs that stop their breathing and their hearts are administered.

Matt Trotter joined KWGS as a reporter in 2013. Before coming to Public Radio Tulsa, he was the investigative producer at KJRH. His freelance work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and on MSNBC and CNN.