Former Iowa City nurse pleads guilty to taking prescription drugs from work

A former University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics nurse accused of fraudulently taking prescription drugs from work has pleaded guilty and been ordered to pay fines and serve two years on probation.

Michelle L. Reid, 45, of Kalona, was supposed to be tried Tuesday on charges of forgery and prohibited acts with prescription drugs, aggravated and serious misdemeanors that could have landed her time in prison.

Instead, Reid pleaded guilty to the prohibited acts charge and was given a two-year deferred judgment for the forgery charge, meaning it will be cleared from her record if she stays out of trouble for that probationary period.

She was ordered to pay fines for the prescription drug charge, which prosecutors filed after learning that she illegally obtained Alprazolam, Hydrocodone and Lortab between July 2010 and September 2011, according to a criminal complaint.

UI police and hospital officials haven't disclosed details about how Reid got the prescription medication or how authorities learned of the crime. But UI spokesman Tom Moore told The Gazette at the time of Reid's arrest that the hospitals are transitioning to an electronic process for issuing prescriptions that will make fraudulent practices difficult.

Reid, whose official titled had been nurse clinical specialist, officially ended her term of service with the university hospitals on Dec. 10.

Alprazolam is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. Hydrocodone is available in combination with other ingredients and can be used to relieve moderate to severe pain. Lortab also is used to relieve moderate to severe pain.

It's unknown whether Reid also was ordered to undergo any type of treatment. Her financial obligations were ordered to be paid off by July 13, 2014.