Tantallon doctor's alleged trafficking lasted up to 20 months, records show
Dr. Sarah Dawn Jones, 35, is accused of writing false prescriptions and trafficking drugs
A Tantallon doctor's alleged drug-trafficking scheme lasted up to 20 months before police began investigating, court documents show.
Dr. Sarah Dawn Jones, 35, of Hammonds Plains is accused of prescribing 50,000 oxycodone and other pills to one patient who never received them between Jan. 1, 2014, and Aug. 23, 2015, according to the documents.
Jones is also accused of stealing from and defrauding a man in Bridgewater, as well as the Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia.
On Feb. 24, Jones was charged with:
- Stealing Oxyneo and oxycodone of a value exceeding $5,000 from Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia
- Defrauding a man of Oxyneo and oxycodone of a value exceeding $5,000
- Defrauding a Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia of Oxyneo and oxycodone of a value exceeding $5,000
- Possessing a Oxyneo and oxycodone for the purpose of trafficking
- Trafficking Oxyneo and oxycodone
- Breaching of trust by writing false prescriptions
- Intending to defraud and without lawful authority wrote prescriptions in the man's name
Jones's alleged behaviour was flagged to Nova Scotia RCMP last August by Dr. Gus Grant, the registrar of Nova Scotia's College of Physicians and Surgeons. He told CBC News a concerned pharmacist called him on Aug. 21.
The college suspended her licence. She left her job at the Crossroads Family Practice in Tantallon in January.
Doctor involvement 'alarming'
The investigation continued for seven months, led by Bridgewater police as the alleged incidents are believed to have happened in that town.
"It's not uncommon for residents down here because of the shortage of doctors out here to have doctors in the city and commute," Police Chief John Collyer said Tuesday.
The large amount of pills is "very concerning," and is believed to have been obtained by Jones through writing several prescriptions in different amounts, he said.
"Normally we're used to street dealing, relatively small quantities. This is a large quantity," Collyer said. "What's particularly alarming about it is that a doctor might be involved."
'Significant amount' not recovered
A provincial prescription drug monitoring program did not alert police to the alleged incident, Collyer said. He said he believes the system is best suited to catching patients seeking multiple prescriptions, a practice known as "double doctoring."
A "significant amount" of the 50,000 pills has not recovered, he said. Collyer would not specify how much police have seized, nor from which location.
Jones is next scheduled to appear in court May 11.
With files from the CBC's Blair Rhodes