Woman arrested, accused of stealing medication from a Port Charlotte hospital

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office says it has arrested a woman who they say stole medication from a Port Charlotte hospital.

Whitney Alley, 46, is accused of stealing 11 2-mg doses of hydromorphone and providing it to patients who were not prescribed that medication. Hydromorphone is an opioid used to relieve pain and is a schedule two controlled substance under Florida law.

Deputies began their investigation on June 6, after the pharmacy director at the hospital that Alley worked for reported her as possibly taking 11 doses of hydromorphone that had gone missing. CCSO did not disclose which hospital Alley was working for.

The pharmacy director told deputies that an employee needed to enter their credentials and verify their identity with a fingerprint to access the drugs. They said Alley’s credentials and fingerprint were used to access the missing drugs.

According to deputies, the pharmacy director said hydromorphone also required an order before it was dispensed. The pharmacy director told the sheriff’s office that Alley did not have any patients with an order for hydromorphone and was not treating any patients who required the drug.

CCSO deputies learned that Alley did not show up for a drug test on June 7 or June 8 but did show up for work on June 10. Alley was fired and reported to the Boards of Nursing.

Alley agreed to meet with deputies on June 14 and gave them a sworn statement.

Alley was arrested and charged with providing a controlled substance or combination of controlled substances that are not medically necessary to their patient.