Former Nurse Sentenced To Three Years For Tampering With Prescription Drug
TOPEKA, KAN. – A former nurse has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for tampering with a prescription drug, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.
Wendy M. Parmenter, 37, Emporia, Kan., who was a licensed practical nurse, pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product and one count of adulteration of a drug. In her plea, Parmenter admitted the following:
– In August 2010 she pleaded guilty to stealing Hydrocodone while working at the Flint Hills Care Center, a nursing home in Emporia, Kan. She was placed on diversion.
– From June 24, 2010, through Nov. 12, 2010, she worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse at Rolling Hills Health Center in Topeka, Kan.
– In November 2010, she stole morphine that was prescribed for E.B., a 105-year-old patient at the Rolling Hills center who was suffering from dementia and chronic pain. Parmenter added tap water to the bottle of morphine to conceal that she had ingested the morphine.
In her plea agreement, Parmenter agreed to surrender her nursing license and not to reapply for a license at any time in the future.
Grissom commended the Food and Drug Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway for their work on the case.
