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SALT LAKE CITY — A former Intermountain Healthcare nurse was sentenced in federal court on Wednesday after being found guilty of taking opioid painkillers from syringes at a hospital and replacing the medication with saline.
Nathan Pehrson, 41, of Sandy, who was previously employed as a nurse at an Intermountain surgical and trauma ward, was sentenced to 36 months in a federal prison after being found guilty in a jury trial. After his term in prison, Pehrson will have an additional 36 months of supervised release.
A jury convicted Pehrson of fraudulently obtaining and tempering with hydromorphone, a Schedule II opioid painkiller, in July. A Department of Justice press release this week explained that Pehrson would replace the pain medication he took with saline and put the syringes back into circulation in the hospital, where they would be used on patients.
"We hope that this sentence of three years in federal prison deters every healthcare professional from using or diverting prescription narcotics," acting U.S. attorney for Utah Andrea T. Martinez said in a press release on Thursday.
Martinez commended the hospital staff who noticed and reported the activity and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations for their action. Pehrson was also convicted of making false statements about his actions to an FDA special agent.
Charles L. Grinstead with the FDA said in the press release, "We will continue to protect the public health and bring to justice health care professionals who take advantage of their unique position and compromise their patients' health and comfort by tampering with needed drugs."
