by Jamie Belnap

STAFF WRITER

A 24-year-old West Valley woman made her first appearance in 3rd District Court Tuesday in connection with a prescription drug forgery case that occurred at the University of Utah Health Center in Stansbury Park last month.

Sharon Marie Hessler was arrested on April 10 after a physician's assistant at the health center reported to police that Hessler's medication record showed a prescription for hydrocodone, a pain reliever, that had been issued to Hessler for back pain had been filled at six different pharmacies in the Salt Lake area. Hessler allegedly admitted to faxing the single prescription to the various pharmacies from the health center, according to a probable cause statement.

According to Detective Brad Patch of the Tooele County Sheriff's Office, Hessler was using the prescription drug herself.

Tom Kline, director of the health center, said although Hessler was previously employed as a medical assistant at the center at the time she faxed the prescription form, she was no longer working there at the time she was arrested. She was, however, being seen as a patient at the clinic.

Hessler was fired from the clinic for reasons not related to the case, according to Patch.

The health center uses a program called Epiccare Electronic Medical Record, which enables physicians to view a patient's medication history before distributing an additional prescription.

"It's probably the best defense we have against prescription fraud," Kline added.

Prescription drug fraud and even theft is on the rise across the nation, which police say is due to the fact that these medications can be highly addictive.

"People get desperate and so they try everything," Kline said.

Hessler was charged with one count of falsifying, forging or altering a prescription and five counts of falsely obtaining a prescription -- all third-degree felonies. She will appear in court next on May 27.

jamieb@tooeletranscript.com