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Lance Bandley, Sandra Yi and Brooke Walker ReportingInvestigators say a nurse practitioner faces possible charges after being arrested for allegedly working while under the influence of drugs.
Steven Larsen was arrested last month, while on the job at Jordan Meadows Medical Center. He bailed out of jail and he's back at work. KSL Newsradio has learned Larsen returned to his job without his patients knowing he was arrested.
"An anonymous informant made us aware that Steven Larsen was not only practicing as a nurse practitioner under the influence of drugs, but also splitting scripts for controlled substances with his co-workers as well as several of the patients," says Utah Deputy Attorney General Joe Christensen.
Christensen says investigators interviewed co-workers that say Larsen was working with patients while under the influence of Dilaudid and Oxycontin.
"After he was arrested he did admit to splitting the scripts, as well as working under the influence," Christensen says.
Investigators say Larsen told those involved his brother was having problems.
"The initial hook that he used with his patients and his co-workers was that his brother was suffering from kidney stones, and he didn't have insurance and couldn't afford pain killers. And so, would they take this prescription and go fill it through their own insurance company, and then split the pills back with him," Christensen says.
Larsen also told investigators he previously received treatment for a drug addiction. Investigators say Larsen had been getting and sharing the pills since June of last year.
Larsen is out of jail. Staff at the Jordan Meadows Medical Center say he is working. He's referring questions about the case to his attorney.
He was booked into Jail on three felony charges of possession of a controlled substance and one misdemeanor charge of insurance fraud. Prosecutors have not filed formal charges against him.
A spokesperson for the Department of Professional Licensing says Larsen surrended his license to prescribe controlled substances, but he still has his nursing license.
"By surrendering his license to prescribe a controlled substance, he should have no access whatsoever to a prescribed substance," says Division of Professional Licensing Spokesman Clark Caras. Caras says Larsen is also undergoing drug testing as part of the investigation.
Caras says if insurance fraud charges are filed, Larsen could lose his license to practice medicine.
Larsen also works at Hunter Medical in West Valley City.
Director of the Department of Commerce, Francine Giani, says this situation goes to show the professionals we trust don't always live up to that expectation.
Francine Giani/ Director, Department of Commerce: "Education is such an important part of what we do."
The state provides a search site where individuals can go check out the licensing status of any service provider, something Giani says every consumer should look into.
"Taking a minute or two to research a name or research a business is certainly worth the while."
