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Hospital Worker Stole Pain Meds, Gave Placebos
20 Sep
Summary
- Hospital employee swapped patient oxycodone for allergy medication.
- She tampered with 139 prescriptions over eight months.
- Patients experienced severe pain due to swapped medications.
A Colorado hospital employee received an 18-month federal prison sentence for replacing patients' prescribed pain medications with over-the-counter alternatives. Shelbi Wolken, a case management coordinator, admitted to using her position to access and tamper with approximately 139 prescriptions over an eight-month period.
Wolken's scheme involved substituting powerful opioid painkillers, such as oxycodone, with allergy medicines. This occurred at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Denver, Lutheran Hospital in Wheat Ridge, and Good Samaritan in Lafayette, all part of the Intermountain Health system.
During her interviews with investigators, Wolken confessed to an opioid addiction and acknowledged the severe risks posed to patients. Some patients reported suffering significant to severe pain, inability to sleep, and even life-threatening conditions due to the inadequate medication.
United States Attorney for the District of Colorado, Peter McNeilly, emphasized that Wolken's conduct violated federal law, caused patient suffering, and put vulnerable individuals at risk. Wolken pleaded guilty in March to tampering with a consumer product and faced a potential 10-year sentence, but received a reduced term for cooperating with authorities and accepting responsibility.
