DENVER — A former employee of Intermountain Health in Colorado has pleaded guilty after she stole more than 100 prescriptions from patients being treated for significant pain.
According to a plea agreement, Shelbi Wolken, 35, of Wheat Ridge was working as a case management coordinator for Intermountain Health at the time of the crime. Because of her position, she had access to electronic medical records and patient information, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
In July 2024, officials at Intermountain Health learned that Wolken had used a patient's information to pick up a prescription for oxycodone at the in-house pharmacy at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Denver, according to the plea agreement. Wolken had replaced the oxycodone with an allergy medication.
During the subsequent investigation, Wolken admitted that she was addicted to opioids.
Investigators later found out she had stolen about 139 prescriptions for 127 patients between December 2023 and July 2024, and replaced them with ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen, and lotradine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
"Several patients whose prescriptions were tampered with reported significant pain and post-surgical complications because they were unknowingly ingesting the wrong medication," according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Wolken pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product.
Her sentencing is scheduled for June 10.
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