Rachel Courtney Dean steals doctor script to buy pain drugs

A Gold Coast nurse stole a doctor’s script from her workplace and fudged the signature to get access to pain medicine, a court was told.

A GOLD Coast nurse stole a doctor’s script from her workplace and fudged the signature to get access to pain medicine, a court was told.

Rachel Courtney Dean, 34, used the script, taken from Gold Coast Private Hospital, and purchased oxycodone liquid and fentanyl from a pharmacy on January 2.

The script had a doctor’s name scribbled out and replaced with another, the Southport Magistrates Court was told.

The following day the owner of the pharmacy became suspicious of the script and doubted its authenticity.

Police became involved and followed up with both doctors who were unaware of the script.

Officers later tracked Dean down. She told police she stole the script from Gold Coast Private Hospital where she worked as a registered nurse on a casual basis.

She said she suffered from chronic pain following a traumatic birth two years ago, the court was told.

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Dean was sentenced to a $750, 12-month good behaviour bond and no conviction was recorded.

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The court heard Dean had previously been prescribed Panadeine Forte but after pain persisted she was told she needed a medical procedure.

She is on a waiting list as she does not have private health insurance to cover the costs.

Dean yesterday pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing dangerous drugs, stealing and related charges.

Duty lawyer Bettina Webb said she Dean was unemployed as she had to justify her position as a registered nurse to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

She said in addition to health problems, Dean was also suffering from the stresses of caring for her children.

The court was handed a document Dean had written to the health regulator explaining the offending and circumstances.

Southport Magistrate Joan White noted the offences were serious.

“It seems it’s a bit of one-off situation, that’s the way I take it,” she said.

Dean was sentenced to a $750, 12-month good behaviour bond and no conviction was recorded.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency was contacted for comment.