Charges have been filed against a former IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital nurse after an investigator said she was stealing pain medications.
The investigator, who works for the Indiana Attorney General’s office, filed charges in Delaware County Circuit Court 2 Tuesday.
Rose Mary Johnson, 52, was charged with failure to make, keep or furnish records, furnishing false or fraudulent information and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit — all Level 6 felonies.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Johnson was employed by the hospital from Aug. 14, 2017, to Oct. 7, 2017. When The Daily News asked IU Health where in the hospital Johnson worked, Neil Gifford, Director, marketing and communication for IU Health East Central Region, said in an email, “only thing I can confirm is that she is no longer employed.”
Johnson has been a registered nurse since June 3, 1996, and at the time of her arrest, records show her license is still active.
Another nurse became suspicious in Oct. 2017 after a patient, who Johnson said had been given four hydrocodone pills, told the other nurse he wasn’t in pain and didn’t take any pain medication.
An internal audit by pharmacists noted that four medications were removed by Johnson and not charted.
During an Oct. 5, 2017, interview with IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital police officers, Johnson blamed the lack of charting in the patients MAR [medical administration record] on the computer system and claimed to be more knowledgeable than doctors and other nurses, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The affidavit also said Johnson told officers she would take a drug screen, but if she failed, it would be because she took a hydrocodone pill that was left over from an old prescription. The screen indicated positive results for several drugs, including hydrocodone.
“Our Proactive Drug Diversion team is working closely with authorities on this investigation,” Gifford said in an email. “We will continue to support our oversight processes to protect our patients and our team members when it comes to the use of medications in our facilities.”
A warrant has been issued for Johnson’s arrest.
Contact Andrew Smith with comments at ajsmith15@bsu.edu or on Twitter @AndrewSmithNews.
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