Judge James Flannery sentenced Douglas to one year in prison of the fourth-degree felonies to be served consecutively; one year in prison on the remaining fourth-degree felonies to be served concurrently with the other prison term; and six months in prison on the fifth-degree felonies, to also be served concurrently with the other prison terms.
Flannery also suspended Douglas’ driver license for one year.
According to the county Prosecutor’s Office, Douglas was a nurse practitioner whose license and prescription authorization had been under suspension by the Ohio Nursing Board for payroll theft from two separate employers. She previously worked at University Hospital and the Johanna Center.
From March 2008 through March 2009, Douglas passed forged prescriptions at Kroger, CVS Pharmacy, and Walgreens Pharmacy in Mason, West Chester, and in Colerain Twp. in Hamilton County, according to prosecutors.
Douglas wrote the prescriptions in her mother’s name, the names of two friends, and two fictitious names to perpetuate the scheme.
The prescriptions were written on slips obtained from a pad missing from a doctor’s office in Cincinnati, prosecutors said.
An investigation by the Warren County Drug Task Force, began after a Mason CVS pharmacist questioned the authenticity of a prescription on March 25, 2009, and discovered the prescription filled at that location the day before was fraudulent, prosecutors said.
Mason and West Chester police assisted with the investigation.
The possession charge stemmed from this last prescription that was filled, where the pharmacist confirmed delivery of the drugs to Douglas, prosecutors said. During the entire period, Douglas uttered prescriptions for Vicodin and Percocet in amounts ranging from 50 to 90 pills. The investigation did not confirm the motive behind Douglas’ actions, prosecutors said.
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