HARRISBURG― Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the arrest of a registered nurse at UPMC Magee—Women’s hospital for stealing a patient’s Oxycodone prescription, denying important pain relief to the patient.
Tiffany Hafner turned herself in to Pittsburgh authorities today on charges of Neglect of a Care Dependent Person, Violations of the Controlled Substance Act, and Theft by Unlawful Taking.
“As we’ve seen in this crisis, we owe a debt to the thousands of medical professionals in Pennsylvania who are enduring a prolonged crisis to save lives and keep us safe, but when someone abuses that trust we will hold them accountable,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “This defendant abused her position when she stole medication from a patient and left them in pain. We will not tolerate the neglect of the vulnerable Pennsylvanians.”
This past November, Hafner allegedly replaced her patient’s prescription Oxycodone pain medication with the sedative, Lunesta. The patient, after realizing she was not getting pain relief, kept a pill that Hafner gave her and asked hospital officials to identify it. After identifying the medication, the hospital said the Lunesta was brought in from outside of the facility.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Katherine Jordan. The investigation is ongoing. All charges discussed are accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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