NURSES CHARGED IN SEPARATE CASES WITH DIVERTING DRUGS FROM NURSING HOME RESIDENTS

Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte has announced that Laura Locke, age 38, of Springfield, New Hampshire and Doris Williams, age 56, of Merrimack, New Hampshire have been indicted in separate cases for allegedly stealing pain medications from patients under their care.

Williams was indicted on October 18th by a Hillsborough County Grand Jury on a charge of felony drug possession. The indictment alleges that in early September, while working as a nurse at Hunt Community in Nashua, she took Oxycodone from a patient’s supply of medications and substituted Aricept for that pill. Oxycodone is a controlled substance prescribed for pain while Aricept is not a pain medication.

In the second case, Locke was arraigned on October 19th following her indictment in September by a Merrimack County Grand Jury on a charge of felony drug possession and misdemeanor patient abuse. Both charges against Locke allege that, while working as a nurse at the Clough Center in New London, she took a patient’s prescribed Percocet for herself and substituted Tylenol for the patient.

The Hunt Community and Clough Center promptly reported the suspected drug diversion to law enforcement and licensing authorities.

For further information, contact Assistant Attorneys General Phil Bradley or Jeff Cahill at (603) 271-1246.