A former registered nurse at Altoona Hospital has been charged with stealing a liquid painkiller being given to patients.
 
Health System Police allege that 38-year-old Angela Packer of Indiana County hid the theft by replacing the Demerol vials with saline. According to a criminal complaint, Packer stole at least 25 vials and used the drug for herself. Packer had worked on the 12^th floor – where the thefts were discovered on July 7^th.
 
She’s also accused of tampering with the hospital’s computerized medication system and putting patients in need of the drug at risk. Packer is facing 25 felony counts ranging from theft to forgery to tampering with records.
 
She was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Jeff Auker and faces a September 12^th preliminary hearing in Central Court.