Nurse arrested, accused of filling $75K of fake prescriptions in Gainesville

Authorities arrested a Hall County hospice nurse accused of forging dozens of patient prescriptions for more than $75,000 worth of narcotics.

Roseanne Brandsma, 53, of Murrayville, faces 96 charges related to her time as a registered nurse at a Kindred Hospice location in Gainesville. She allegedly used the facility’s computer system to falsify prescriptions and deleted them once they were filled, according to Gainesville police.

The fraud took place over seven months in 2017, police said in a news release. Investigators do not know if the narcotics were intended for personal use or put up for sale.

“It is unknown at this time where Brandsma is practicing as a nurse, but records indicate her license is still active,” Gainesville police Chief Jay Parrish said in a statement.

The Gainesville agency began looking into the alleged prescription fraud in December. They have accused Brandsma of falsifying more than 48 prescriptions during her time as a nurse in Gainesville, amounting to 48 counts of unauthorized distribution of controlled substances and 48 counts of computer forgery.

“As an agency that supports the fight against the opioid crisis, we want to bring awareness to these types of crimes that are occurring where you least expect them,” Parrish continued. “To find out a professional, who is trusted to care for members in our community, is responsible for contributing to our opioid crisis is absolutely disheartening.”

After announcing the search for Brandsma on Friday morning, she was arrested later in the afternoon, the department said. She was taken into custody near the 300 block of Green Street due to a tip.