Ohio prison officials are considering a major overhaul of death-penalty procedures that might include changing out such key elements as drugs and an execution team.

Injecting deadly drugs into muscle and bone, using a single, more powerful drug, or using an entirely different combination of drugs are options being reviewed.

Prison officials are consulting with Dr. Mark Dershwitz, a University of Massachusetts professor of anesthesiology who testified for the state last year as a paid expert witness in a lethal-injection lawsuit in federal court. He has consulted with several states on lethal-injection litigation.

Julie Walburn, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, said, "We're considering all options at this time. It could be a backup or a complete change."

Ohio would become the first state to make major changes in a three-drug execution process that was essentially copied by 35 states from Oklahoma, where it was developed by an anesthesiologist in 1977.

But Gov. Ted Strickland and prisons director Terry Collins are considering major changes after the botched Sept. 15 execution of Romell Broom of Cleveland, the first time in modern U.S. history that an execution had to be abandoned after it was started.

"It worked 32 of 33 times," Walburn said, referring to previous Ohio executions going back to 1999. "We want to ensure we can deal with these rare and unusual circumstances when it doesn't work."

Changes in procedures also could mean switching personnel, Walburn said.

The current execution team at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility near Lucasville includes emergency medical technicians. However, they probably would not be qualified to perform some of the invasive methods being considered.

"The procedure will dictate the personnel," Walburn said.

Even so, she quickly noted that Collins is "fully supportive of the execution team and the current protocols. Any changes would not be a reflection on the personnel involved."

There is no time frame for developing the new protocol, Walburn said. The execution of Kenneth Biros, a convicted killer from Trumbull County, is scheduled for Dec. 8 but could be delayed by Strickland.

Richard Dieter, executive director of the Washington-based Death Penalty Information Center, said it is "significant that they're looking at a major overhaul of the process. This has been a long time coming."

California and Maryland are looking at protocol and procedures changes, but Dieter said no other state is considering the major revamp contemplated by Ohio officials.

"It's a fresh start," he said. "Maybe there are alternatives that have less risks."

ajohnson@dispatch.com