Rebecca Sanford, a licensed practical nurse (LPN), had her nursing license
suspended after she was accused by the state of Florida of trafficking
in prescription drugs. Sanford will appear in court on Friday in Volusia
to face the charges against her.
The Florida Department of Health suspended Sanford’s license after
she was charged with trafficking hydrocodone and also for obtaining or
attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud.
In April, Sanford said in a statement to the health department that she
obtained the drugs from a nurse last year for her injured boyfriend. Once
she became addicted to the pain medications, she continued to request
prescriptions for her boyfriend.
A psychiatric evaluation was performed on Sanford on August 23. At that
time, Sanford stated she stopped using the pain medications in 2011, but
a hair strand drug test was positive for both hydrocodone and tramadol,
which revealed she had used both drugs within ninety days of testing.
The doctor who conducted the evaluation recommended Sanford join an “intensive
outpatient drug program” and also “an advocacy contract with
the Intervention Project for Nurses.” This is a program that “monitors
the evaluation, care and treatment of impaired nurses.”
Sanford can file a petition for judicial review for the suspension, but
it needs to be filed by November 22.
If you have been arrested for drug charges in Florida, it is very important
to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney. The penalties for
drug possession in the state of Florida can be quite severe. If you face
charges in any type of drug related case, an experienced
criminal defense attorney will provide you with a sophisticated and aggressive defense.