Police: Nurse replaced opioid with household cleaner, endangering patient

A New Hampshire nurse working in Massachusetts is facing serious federal charges after allegedly replacing a dementia patient’s liquid oxycodone with household cleaner.

Lori Robertson, 38, was arrested on Oct. 31 and charged with tampering with a consumer product, according to a federal indictment filed in the District of Massachusetts and People.

She has since pleaded not guilty and was released pending her next court date later in November.

At the time of the alleged incident, Robertson was working at a rehabilitation facility in Massachusetts.

According to court documents, she was responsible for administering medication to multiple patients, including a non-verbal dementia patient who was prescribed liquid oxycodone, a powerful opioid typically used to treat severe pain.

Prosecutors allege that Robertson removed the oxycodone from the patient’s bottle and replaced it with a household cleaner. The indictment does not identify the specific cleaner used or describe the patient’s reaction, but federal authorities called the conduct “extremely reckless” and “manifesting extreme indifference” to human life.

“Lori Robertson, with reckless disregard for the risk that another person would be placed in danger of death and bodily injury… tampered with a consumer product that affected interstate commerce,” the indictment states.

Tampering with a consumer product is a federal offense and, if convicted, can carry significant prison time and fines.

The case remains under investigation.

This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation