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ABILENE, Texas — A registered nurse is accused of stealing morphine from two Abilene medical facilities for her personal use.
Deirdre Roxanne Lanford, 57, was arrested Friday and charged with possession of morphine, a second-degree felony.
According to the arrest report, Lanford took the painkillers from the Abilene State Supported Living Center, where she worked at a nurse, and My Emergency Room, where she previously worked part-time.
Lanford had been written up and counseled several times for not following procedures for distributing controlled substances.
She was also documenting that she administered more morphine to patients than was “prescribed or medically necessary.”
When an agent with the Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigation Division questioned Lanford, she admitted taking 10 vials of morphine from the Abilene State Supported Living Center and using it for personal use. She also admitted taking morphine from My Emergency Room.
Landord is out of jail on $25,000 bond. She has been a registered nurse in Texas since 1989.
A spokesman for the Texas Health & Human Services Commission in Austin said Lanford resigned from the Abilene State Supported Living Center “during our investigation of the matter.”
The Texas Health & Human Services Commission said it has reported the theft to the Texas Board of Nursing.