Caregiver Charged After Replacing Pain Pills with Tylenol

A home caregiver is charged in Altoona after state narcotics investigators say she took pain pills prescribed for her client and replaced them with over-the-counter Tylenol.

[Deidentified], 50, of Antis Township, turned herself in to narcotics agents with the state Attorney general’s Office on Tuesday to face arraignment on felony and misdemeanor drug charges after an investigation showed [Deidentified] would switch out oxycodone-acetaminophen pills meant for her client and put Tylenol in their place, according to the charges filed Tuesday.

Investigators said [Deidentified] was captured on video picking up a 90-pill prescription on December 21, but none of the medication made it to the client. When confronted by agents on Monday, [Deidentified] allegedly confessed she took the pain pills because she had neck pain due to an injury and couldn’t get her own prescription, so she took most of the victim’s medication each month. She said she took the 90 pills last week and had taken them all, agents noted in the charges.

[Deidentified] was released on an unsecured $25,000 bond and is scheduled to appear before Magisterial Ben Jones on March 3, 2021 for a preliminary hearing.