Nurse stole pain medicines for herself, forcing patients to go without, Iowa cops say
A former nurse is facing criminal charges after police say she stole medication from her patients for her own use.
According to a criminal complaint, the woman was working as a licensed practical nurse at a Knoxville, Iowa, nursing home. She’s accused of using her position to obtain medications that were meant for her patients.
Between Dec. 1 and Feb. 26, the woman used her position to “divert” at least 403 tablets of hydrocodone, 59 tablets of morphine, 59 tablets of oxycodone, and 17.25 millilitersof liquid morphine for own personal use, officials say.
She is also accused of forging other nurses signatures on documents in order to take medications from patients, said in the complaint. Which was filed Sept. 20 in the Marion County District Court.
“As a result of this scheme, residents were forced to endure over and/or under medication, as well as going without prescribed pain medications for their ailments,” the complaint said.
Part of the accusations against her in the complaint say she tampered with records and would document substances being disposed of, but really she was keeping them for herself.
In April, the woman voluntarily surrendered her nursing license, after it was placed on probation in July 2022, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
She was charged with dependent adult abuse by neglect, dependent adult abuse by exploitation, unlawfully obtaining or attempting to obtain a prescription drug and identity theft, according to WHO 13.
Information regarding the woman’s legal representation wasn’t immediately available as of Oct. 3.
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