09-29-2010, 06:00 AM
Hospira has previously made clear that it is not comfortable with its products being used in the lethal injection process.
Officials in California are pressing for its first execution in over four years to go ahead on Thursday evening as scheduled, because the state's last remaining batch of sodium thiopental expires on Friday.
Any other executions would have to be delayed until a new batch of the drug is received by the state next year.
Oklahoma delayed a planned execution last month because of the sodium thiopental shortage. A lack of the drug also led Kentucky's governor to put death warrants for two inmates on hold.
Sodium thiopental is primarily used as anaesthesia for surgical patients and to induce medical comas. It has also been used to euthanise animals." wrote:
through the back door.