Sabrina Thalblum, Fentanyl Tampering, Iowa 2019

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Sabrina Thalblum, Controlled Substance Tampering, Cedar Rapids IA, 2019

Sabrina Thalblum, a registered nurse at First Choice Surgical Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been linked to a massive case of controlled substance tampering.

Thalblum, 46, allegedly stole fentanyl, a powerful opioid, from the surgical center and used it for her own purposes. According to court documents, Thalblum would withdraw the fentanyl from vials, reinject saline into the vials, and then return them to storage.

The scheme was discovered in August 2019 by other employees of the surgical center. A subsequent investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revealed that Thalblum had been tampering with the fentanyl on at least 130 separate occasions.

Thalblum pleaded guilty in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to charges related to the theft in January 2021. She was sentenced to five years’ probation in January 2022.

The First Choice Surgical Center, which is affiliated with Fox Eye Laser & Cosmetic Institute, P.C., a practice performing laser vision correction and cataract surgery, has agreed to pay $125,000 to the United States to resolve allegations that it violated civil provisions of the Controlled Substances Act.

The settlement resolves allegations that First Choice failed to maintain complete and accurate records concerning the controlled substances it purchased and dispensed and failed to provide effective controls and procedures to guard against theft and diversion of controlled substances.

“This settlement highlights one part of our office’s efforts to battle the opioid crisis,” said Timothy T. Duax, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. “Healthcare providers must do their part to ensure the safety of our community by maintaining accurate records and safeguarding access to dangerous controlled substances.”

The DEA works to ensure that hospitals are enforcing the rules and regulations that ensure patient safety. “Lives are unnecessarily put at risk when accuracy and good record keeping habits are brushed aside,” said DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell.

The claims asserted against First Choice are allegations only; there was no determination of liability.