Having a Fraud case filed against you may have a possibility of a jail or prison sentence as a punishment for your dishonesty. You also need to present evidence to prove that you are innocent of the accusation that they are throwing at you. Also, don’t fail in hiring your legal counsel to defend you from such a case, a nurse attorney.
At the time of the initial incident, an RN was employed as a Registered Nurse at a hospital in Denton, Texas, and had been in that position for one (1) year and three (3) months
On or about July 15, 2019, through July 25, 2019, the RN’s practice fell below the minimum standards of nursing practice in that she engaged in non-therapeutic prescribing practices. More specifically, the RN falsely documented that she issued twenty-three (23) prescriptions for Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen and one (1) prescription for Oxycodone to many patients after she assessed the patients, despite the fact she did not conduct appropriate assessments to justify her prescribing practices. Further, the RN documented the prescriptions after the controlled substances had already been dispensed to the patients by the Pharmacy. The RN’s conduct falls below the minimum applicable standard of care.
In reference, the RN states that although each patient requested Hydrocodone, she refused to write such prescriptions and instead gave each patient a prescription for Ibuprofen. The RN states that sometime in July 2019, the owner of the Pharmacy went to her and informed her he had dispensed Hydrocodone 90mg to each of the patients he had referred to her because he thought she prescribed the medications. The RN also states that the owner of the Pharmacy demanded the RN update the patients’ prescriptions to reflect Hydrocodone was prescribed and even threatened her if she did not comply. The RN states that out of fear, she updated the patients’ prescriptions as requested. The RN states many of the records corroborate these events as it reflects medications for acetaminophen-hydrocodone were prescribed in July 2019 without listing any evaluations or assessments, as none had been performed by her. The RN states she has not written any prescriptions for controlled substances since December 2019. The RN further states she has practiced as a nurse for over 12 years and has no prior disciplinary history.
The RN has been advised by the Board that any information found to be incomplete, incorrect, or misleading to the Board or a subsequent discovery of a basis of ineligibility will be considered by the Board and may result in an ultimate determination of ineligibility or the later revocation of a license obtained through fraud or deceit.
But upon investigation, the evidence received was sufficient to prove that there is a violation. The RN’s history reflects conduct, which may constitute grounds for discipline and denial of a license under Section 301.452 (b) (10) & (13) of the Texas Occupations Code.
This matter can be handled by a nurse attorney. But the RN failed to hire a nurse attorney to help her deal with and fight the case. Having a nurse attorney to be your defense could have resulted in a different outcome for the RN.
If you have questions about the Texas Board of Nursing disciplinary process, you can contact the Law Office of Nurse Attorney Yong J. An for a confidential consultation by calling or texting 24/7 at (832) 428-5679 and ask for attorney Yong.