A former licensed practical nurse (LPN) is in jail after she admitted to stealing medication from patients and falsifying documents at St. Catherine’s Manor in Washington Court House.
Lorie McCarren, 43, appeared Monday in the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas and was sentenced to 180 days in the Fayette County Jail, was ordered to be supervised by the Fayette County Adult Probation Department for two years and is subject to pay $312 in costs for her prosecution.
McCarren admitted in January to stealing oxycodone medication from five resident patients and falsifying documents.
Resident patients at St. Catherine’s Manor had prescriptions for narcotic medications and McCarren’s job duties were to sign out the narcotic medications and administer the medicines to the patients. Between Aug. 9 and Aug. 15, 2016, McCarren signed out oxycodone pills for patients but never gave the patients their medications.
The family of one of the residents complained to the staff that their family member had not received their medication at all during the entire day. The staff member, who checked the medication sheet, said that it had been indicated on the sheet that McCarren had signed out the medication for the resident and it had been recorded that the medication was given to the patient. The family member of the patient began yelling and insisted that the resident had not received medication, according to reports. The resident was given their medication by another staff member.
McCarren sent a fax one night to a doctor to try get a prescription for pain medication. The doctor did not give the order.
A co-worker reported that in a conversation with McCarren, she appeared very sluggish and slow with her movements while working, had pinpoint pupils, was unable to keep her eyes open, and had garbled speech. McCarren was confronted by a co-worker as to why a narcotics data sheet was altered, and McCarren replied she was confused if it was day or night because she had been working so much, reports said. She was asked to take a drug test, at which point she went into the bathroom and came out and said she tossed the urine test cup in the toilet and then gave it back dry. She was asked to take another drug test but refused and quit.
McCarren was indicted Sept. 29, 2016 on seven charges. Three counts in the indictment were dismissed as part of the plea agreement with the state. In return, McCarren plead to four charges, three of which are theft of drugs, fourth-degree felonies, and one count of falsification in a theft offense, a misdemeanor of the first degree.
McCarren previously told the court that she had taken the narcotics for her own personal use.
During Monday’s court sentencing, Fayette County Prosecutor Jess Weade said the state wanted to recommend a prison sentence for McCarren but the Ohio General Assembly’s guidelines require the case to be a mandatory community control sentence. The state then asked that the community control include local jail time.
“The defendant has taken no responsibility for her actions and shown absolutely no remorse,” said Weade during the sentencing hearing.
Steven Beathard, Fayette County Court of Common Pleas Judge, said the sentence for community control is bound by the state legislature’s sentencing guidelines, and imposed a 180-day jail sentence and two years of community control. McCarren remained in custody of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and was taken to the jail to commence her sentence.
A copy of the investigative report from the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy may be read by checking this article online at www.recordherald.com