Press Release  Dorchester Nurse Practitioner Arraigned in Connection with Illegally Prescribing Painkillers

Boston — A Dorchester nurse practitioner has been arraigned in connection with allegedly illegally prescribing painkillers to her family members and friends across the state, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

Roberta Regan, age 51, was arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court on six counts of illegally prescribing Oxycodone. She was indicted by a Statewide Grand Jury on June 30 on the on the charges of Unlawful Prescription of Oxycodone (10 counts), Unlawful Prescription of Lorazepam (one count) and Unlawful Prescription of Clonazepam (one count) in Suffolk, Norfolk, and Plymouth Counties.

 “This defendant violated her responsibility and abused her position by allegedly prescribing powerful painkillers to her family and friends,” said AG Healey. “At a time when we’re working to combat the opioid epidemic, actions like these threaten that progress and help fuel addiction.”

At the arraignment, Regan pleaded not guilty to the charges. Suffolk Superior Court Clerk Magistrate Anne Kaczmarek released Regan on her own personal recognizance with the conditions that she not consume drugs or alcohol and be subject to random drug screens.

She will be arraigned in Norfolk Superior Court on July 28 on three counts of illegally prescribing Oxycodone, one count of illegally prescribing Lorazepam and one count of illegally prescribing Clonazepam and in Plymouth Superior Court on Aug. 4 on one count of illegally prescribing Oxycodone.

She is due back in Suffolk Superior Court on Sept. 13 for a pre-trial conference.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The case was referred to the DEA after Regan was terminated from her employment as a nurse practitioner at MetroWest Medical Center after misusing hospital prescription pads. The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program revealed Regan had written 119 prescriptions over a one-year period for a total of 10,007 tablets and of those only 12 were prescribed to legitimate patients at the medical center.

“The DEA is committed to investigating and bringing to justice those who divert and traffic Oxycodone,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson.  “Opiate abuse is a major problem in the Commonwealth and throughout New England.  The diversion of prescription pain killers, in this case oxycodone, contributes to the widespread abuse of opiates, is a gateway to heroin addiction, and is devastating our communities.  This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in Massachusetts and our strong partnership with Attorney General Healey’s Office to aggressively pursue anyone that illicitly distributes these drugs.”

The investigation revealed Regan was allegedly writing prescriptions for family members and friends and then would often receive a portion of the pills back in exchange for writing the prescription. While some of the people who received the illegal prescriptions used the pills to treat various levels of pain, they were never patients of Regan’s and many allegedly developed some level of addiction.

These charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Megan McLaughlin, of AG Healey’s Enterprise, Major and Cyber Crimes Division. The case was investigated by DEA’s New England Field Division.

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