GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A Gainesville hospice nurse is wanted for allegedly forging nearly 50 patient prescriptions, and police say she was able to get away more than $75,000 worth of narcotics.
The Gainesville Police Department has obtained arrest warrants for Roseanne Brandsma, 53, of Murrayville, for 48 counts of unauthorized distribution of controlled substances and 48 counts of computer forgery.
Brandsma is accused of falsifying over 48 prescriptions while providing hospice care to patients in Gainesville. Police have not confirmed whether Brandsma illegally obtained these narcotics to sell or if they were for personal use.
“It is unknown at this time where Brandsma is practicing as a nurse, but records indicate her license is still active. This is why it is important that she is taken into custody to answer for these crimes,” said Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish.
Police say the probe began in December 2019 when Gainesville investigators were notified of a 2017 prescription fraud taking place over seven months.
Kindred Hospice reported a registered nurse it previously employed was forging prescriptions while caring for patients, according to police. Investigation into these allegations revealed Brandsma used the Kindred Hospice computer system to falsify prescriptions, deleting them once they were filled.
The investigation remains active and ongoing at this time, they said.
“As an agency that supports the fight against the opioid crisis, we want to bring awareness to these types of crimes that are occurring where you least expect them. To find out a professional, who is trusted to care for members in our community, is responsible for contributing to our opioid crisis is absolutely disheartening,” said Parrish.
Anyone with information regarding Brandsma’s whereabouts or knowledge of these alleged crimes are urged to call the Gainesville Police Criminal Investigations Division at 770-534-5252.
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