Nurse charged with allegedly replacing hospice patient’s oxycodone with cleaning chemicals
A hospice nurse treating a patient with dementia is accused of purposefully replacing oxycodone with a household cleaning chemical, in a potentially dangerous attempt to divert the opioid pain reliever.
Federal authorities confirmed to the Boston Herald that Lori Robertson has been arrested and arraigned, officially charged with one count of tampering with a consumer product.
Robertson, a resident of New Hampshire, was working at a long-term rehabilitation facility in Amesbury, Massachusetts—where court records claim she has been working as a registered nurse (RN). As part of her job, Robertson cared for multiple patients.
The one at the center of the case is simply referred to as “Patient 1” in the criminal indictment.
Patient 1 is described as “a non-verbal hospice and dementia patient who was prescribed oxycodone” by prosecutors, who go on to allege that Robertson tampered with the drug by “removing oxycodone from the bottle with a syringe and replacing the removed liquid with a household cleaner.”
The incident is said to have occurred on or around March 31.
In their own reporting on the case, Boston.com added that the court documents do not accuse the nurse of administering, or planning to administer, the cleaning chemicals to the patient. Instead, her alleged actions may be motivated by an attempt to steal the drug.
Regardless, authorities emphasized that, in their view, the patient was in grave danger.
“Lori Robertson, with reckless disregard for the risk that another person would be placed in danger of death and bodily injury, and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to such risk, did tamper with a consumer product that affected interstate commerce,” prosecutors wrote in the indictment.
The charges carry a possible prison sentence of 10 years, with fines reaching as high as $250,000. Robertson has pleaded not guilty, and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 24 for an initial status conference, Boston.com confirmed.
She has been released on her own recognizance, albeit with conditions. Robertson is forbidden from consuming alcohol or drugs and must remain enrolled in a substance abuse program. Additionally, she is not allowed to communicate with any witnesses who may be called to testify at trial.
It’s not clear how long Robertson worked for the unnamed rehabilitation center prior to this alleged incident, and her current employment status is unknown.
She remains innocent until proven guilty at trial.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.