A registered nurse from The Orchards in Saxonburg is accused of using her patient’s pain medication, according to charges filed Wednesday, July 19.

Statements from fellow staff and medical records resulted in Julie D. Zetkulic, 47, of Greensburg, being charged by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

Zetkulic was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation and misdemeanors drug possession and theft following an investigation into a September 2022 incident.

According to charging documents, agents from the Attorney General’s office were informed by Saxonburg borough police about their investigation into the alleged theft.

Documents showed Zetkulic was working a shift from Sept. 14 to 15, 2022. Officers said staff from The Orchards reported that early Sept. 15, she was seen retrieving narcotics from the medicine cart for a patient.

Employees reported they found this strange, as Zetkulic’s patient would have been asleep at that time.

A count of the medicine showed inconsistencies, and when asked about them, Zetkulic did not say anything, police said.

Employees told officers that Zetkulic was then observed to be impaired, nodding off at the nurses station.

Documents showed employees called 911 due to Zetkulic’s condition, but she refused treatment. An employee reported that she overheard a phone conversation between Zetkulic and her husband, which implied that she was under the influence of drugs, police said.

Medical records showed that Zetkulic’s patient was prescribed regular doses of Lorazepam, morphine sulfate and oxycodone for pain management.

Police said Zetkulic made withdrawals of seven doses of Lorazepam, nine doses of morphine sulfate and 11 doses of oxycodone for her patient. The medications were not given to the patient, according to documents.

According to court records, Zetkulic told police during a March 15 interview that she had recently relapsed, and she admitted to removing substances from the medication cart on Sept. 14 and 15, 2022, and then ingesting them.

Her preliminary hearing before District Judge Sue Haggerty is scheduled Aug. 9.