Worker at hospital in Rock Hill charged with stealing fentanyl for her own use
A former worker at Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill has been arrested and charged with stealing fentanyl for her own use, officials said.
Melissa Mae Collins, 48, of Fort Mill, was charged Thursday by S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control enforcement agents with theft of a controlled substance, according to jail records and an arrest warrant obtained by The Herald.
The warrant states Collins withdrew fentanyl from the supply for critically ill patients at the hospital in July then administered the drug to herself intravenously.
When interviewed by DHEC investigators from its drug control investigations unit, Collins admitted to the allegations, according to the warrant.
Collins was arrested after an investigation that included medication administration records and statements by witnesses and other evidence, according to the warrant. DHEC’s drug control unit monitors any theft or loss of controlled substances, according to the agency’s Web site.
Collins worked part-time at the hospital for about four months but no longer is employed there, said Daisy Burroughs, spokesperson for PMC.
“We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously,“ Burroughs said in a written statement to The Herald. “We fully cooperated with the authorities, and this individual is no longer employed by our hospital.”
Hospital and DHEC officials did not say what Collins’ specific job was at the hospital, or how she had access to the fentanyl.
DHEC declined to release more information because the investigation remains ongoing, said Laura Renwick, DHEC spokesperson.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever that is 50-100 times more potent than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control website.
Theft of a controlled substance is a felony that carries a potential punishment of up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, South Carolina law shows.
Collins turned herself in at the Moss Justice Center Thursday, said Trent Faris, spokesman for the York County Sheriff’s Office which operates the county jail. Collins was released from jail Thursday night after posting $2,500 bond, according to jail records.
This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 10:15 AM with the headline "Worker at hospital in Rock Hill charged with stealing fentanyl for her own use."
