St. Ansgar woman charged over meds

Published 9:46 am Friday, September 2, 2011

A St. Ansgar, Iowa, woman was charged in Freeborn County District Court Thursday with allegedly using a false name to obtain prescription medication.

Amy Kathryn Potter, 27, has been charged with one felony count deemed “attempting to procure a controlled substance by using a false name.”

She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

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According to court documents, Potter was arrested Tuesday after a Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office detective received a call from a pharmacist at the Shopko pharmacy in Albert Lea. The pharmacist reportedly told the detective she had received notification from Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea that a prescription for painkiller Tramadol had been sent for Potter under a false name.

Upon further investigation, the detective reportedly discovered that Potter allegedly had gone to the emergency room on Monday and, using the same false name, was prescribed Norco tablets, which consist of acetaminophen and hydrocodone.

Potter reportedly filled this prescription at Walgreens in Albert Lea the same day.

On Tuesday, she allegedly returned to the Albert Lea clinic and was prescribed Tramodol under the same name.

The prescription was sent to the Walmart pharmacy, but she was unable to fill the prescription because she could not verify identification under that name.

According to court documents, the prescription was then sent to the Shopko pharmacy, where the same thing took place.

She ultimately went to Walgreens, where the detective met up with her.

Potter reportedly admitted that she had gone to Urgent Care the day before and used the false name to obtain the hydrocodone, though she said she did not actually take any of those tablets.

Court documents allege Potter told the detective she was only addicted to the Tramodol and had a history of abusing it.

In court on Thursday, Freeborn County District Court Judge Ross Leuning ordered that Potter be released on her own recognizance if she followed several conditions. Conditions include no alcohol or controlled substance use, no possession of drugs or alcohol, complying with random testing, remaining law abiding and signing a waiver of extradition.

Her next appearance is scheduled for Sept. 12.