A nurse from New England entered a plea of not guilty last week after allegations surfaced that she substituted a hospice patient’s oxycodone with a common household cleaner.
Lori Robertson was employed at a long-term care institution in Amesbury, Massachusetts, as reported by Boston.com. She faces federal charges, specifically one count of tampering with a consumer product, according to court filings.
The alleged incident, which occurred in the spring, involves claims by federal authorities that Robertson used a syringe to extract liquid oxycodone from a prescription intended for a non-verbal dementia patient, subsequently replacing it with a cleaning agent.
Charging documents assert, “Lori Robertson, with reckless disregard for the potential danger to another’s life and safety, and displaying extreme indifference to such risk, engaged in tampering with a consumer product impacting interstate commerce.”
The documents do not clarify whether the cleaner was administered to the patient or detail the method by which officials uncovered the tampering.
After her release from custody, the 65-year-old Robertson was instructed to avoid contact with any victims or witnesses, abstain from alcohol and other substances, undergo drug testing, and participate in a substance abuse treatment program.
She faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 if she is convicted, the Boston Herald said.
Robertson is due back in court again on November 24.
