CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A contracted nurse is under investigation for allegedly stealing medicine from senior living care residents in Chillicothe.
According to the Chillicothe Police Department, officers were dispatched to Westmoreland on Cherry Street on reports of a theft. Officers arrived on the scene and spoke with the facilities manager.
The manager stated that during the previous night shift, a contracted nurse allegedly took five pills from a patient’s prescription. Additional employees provided statements to the police regarding the incident. On July 17, the same nurse reportedly took two pills from another patient’s prescription. The medication taken, per the report, was Oxycodone 5/325 (Percocet). In Ohio, the medication is a Schedule II controlled substance.
The nurse’s name has not been released by the police, and according to the department, the case and investigation are ongoing. No further details have been provided.
A 2022 report by the National Institute of Justice says that 1 in 10 nursing home residents have their medication stolen each year. In Ohio, the number of reported medication thefts in nursing homes has increased by 20% in the past five years.
