An Illinois nurse has been hit with federal charges for allegedly tampering with a patient's morphine, authorities said Thursday. Nickole Butler, 40, stands accused of removing the powerful painkiller intended for a patient and watering it down with another liquid. This deceptive act puts a patient at risk of being under-medicated for serious pain, the indictment claimed.
Butler worked as a registered nurse in a skilled nursing facility in Byron, Ill. According to the indictment unveiled in Chicago, the nurse went rogue on May 16, 2021, diluting the prescribed medication with reckless disregard for the patient's safety. The charge carries a heavy weight, a maximum sentence of ten years behind bars if she is found guilty.
In federal court today, the accused entered a plea of not guilty. The case against her is being prosecuted with vigor by Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright, as announced by Morris Pasqual, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ronne Malham, the special agent in charge of the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations.
"Patients deserve to have confidence that they are receiving the legitimately prescribed medication and not a diluted substance," Pasqual stated, highlighting the gravity of the accusation. Ensuring that healthcare professionals do not breach this trust is a top priority for the FDA and the Department of Justice, which are committed to prosecuting such cases.
Butler's prosecution is backed by the watchful eyes of federal agencies committed to safeguarding consumers' trust in their medication. "When that supply chain is breached, the public’s health is put at risk," declared FDA SAC Malham.
