Nursing Assistant Arrested for Diverting Fentanyl Patches Away from Rest Home Residents
Posted on September 9, 2010Time and again the headlines tell us that those closest to the prescription medications are the same ones diverting them for recreational use. Such is the case in a recent report as a nursing assistant who had been employed at the Riverside Rest Home has been arrested and charged with stealing medication in the form of Fentanyl pain patches from residents.
The assistant, Alesha Neault, worked at the rest home in a role that required her to provide a variety of basic care services to elderly residents. She also assisted licensed nurses with their medical tasks, which often involved the handling of medication for some of the residents within the home.
Neault had a drug habit that she was able to support through her employment. During her time at the rest home, Neault stole Fentanyl patches that had been prescribed to Riverside residents. While this action not only fed her addiction, it also denied legitimate patients their access to pain relief.
This crime opens up the debate for bigger questions surrounding the control of the prescription medication within the rest home and Neault’s legal access of these medications. The Riverside facility could face its own charges of negligence, lax standards and mismanagement of controlled substances that resulted in undue suffering for some patients.
As a result of her willful theft and the direct impact it had on patients, Neault was denied bail and remains in custody until her court date.
