Special to the Times-Free Press
A licensed practical nurse from Cape Cod has been charged with falsifying medical records at an East Boston healthcare facility to steal oxycodone pills, according to Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden.
Kaitlin Tipton, 34, of West Yarmouth was charged last Friday with drug larceny and drug obtained by fraud.
Judge Debra DelVecchio released Tipton on personal recognizance and ordered her to stay away from the location of the offense. Tipton is due back in court on September 10 for a probable cause hearing.
An investigation by a Massachusetts state trooper assigned to the Department of Public Health’s Drug Control Program discovered that from November 15, 2023, to February 23, 2024, Tipton diverted more than 50 oxycodone pills from Advocate Health Care (AHC) by falsifying the drug book and other medical records, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.
AHC is a long-term care and short-term rehabilitation facility in East Boston where Tipton worked as an LPN.
Investigators allege that Tipton diverted the addictive pain medication by not documenting doses, removing more medication than ordered by doctors, and making false entries on dates when she was not working.
Tipton allegedly told police that she had a friend with back problems who turned to her for help. She said she diverted medication from the facility for her friend and was unsure exactly how many times she did so, according to the district attorney’s office.
“We’ll likely never know where these pills ended up, but we do know that substances like oxycodone and oxycontin are huge contributors to dependency issues we see in Boston and every other community. So diversions from dispensing facilities must be taken seriously,” Hayden said.