Karen Jennifer Pamela Hamilton stole prescription forms from her doctor and then used them to get drugs, including Ritalin. Photo / 123rf
Karen Jennifer Pamela Hamilton stole prescription forms from her doctor and then used them to get drugs, including Ritalin. Photo / 123rf
After having her drug supply “cut off” by health professionals, Karen Hamilton took matters into her own hands and pocketed a handful of prescription forms when her doctor’s back was turned.
She then filled the scripts out herself and took them to a number of Taranaki pharmacies where she bagged herself nearly 300 pills - some of which she shared with friends.
The 43-year-old’s drug haul, which focused on Ritalin, Clonazepam and Diazepam, began on April 1 after she attended an outpatient appointment at Taranaki Base Hospital.
It was there that she ripped the slips from her doctor’s pad when the health professional wasn’t looking, Hāwera District Court heard on Monday.
Soon after, she headed to a New Plymouth pharmacy where she obtained 30 Ritalin tablets after presenting a fraudulent prescription.
But Hamilton’s scam didn’t stop there and over the course of the month, she successfully filled four more forged scripts at three further pharmacies across the region.
In total, Hamilton obtained 60 Ritalin tablets, 180 Clonazepam tablets and 30 Diazepam tablets through the use of the fake slips.
While Ritalin is prescribed for ADHD, Diazepam, previously marketed as Valium, can be used to treat anxiety, and Clonazepam is a tranquilliser used to treat panic disorders and seizures.
Karen Hamilton appeared in Hāwera District Court on Monday. Photo / File
When Hamilton’s offending became known to police, she admitted to taking the forms but blamed her actions on hospital staff.
“She was annoyed that they weren’t giving her the drugs and that it is technically their fault, because they had cut her off,” police recorded her as saying in their summary of facts.
“She stated that she knew that it was the wrong thing to do but she just wasn’t thinking and was in a bad head space.”
Hamilton told officers she used the majority of the drugs herself but had also given some to friends.
In court, Judge Tony Greig said Hamilton, who is an out-patient with the mental health services at Te Whatu Ora Taranaki, had a “sizeable” criminal history which reflected her “long-standing” drug addiction.
A presentence report described her as impulsive and lacking problem-solving skills. It said she was a moderate risk of reoffending.
The probation officer who penned the report confirmed substance abuse was still an issue for Hamilton, who currently took methadone, a synthetic opioid used for opioid dependence.
Judge Greig said Hamilton had attended a restorative justice conference where she met with a representative of the doctor.
“Hopefully you got something out of that.”
On one previously admitted charge of theft and five of using a forged document, he sentenced Hamilton to six months of home detention to be served at a Hāwera address.
