A Dorchester woman who worked as a nurse practitioner was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court last week after she was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly writing illegal prescriptions for painkillers for friends and family members. Roberta Regan, 51, was charged with six counts of illegally prescribing Oxycodone. Regan was reported to federal agents by her former employer, MetroWest Medical Center, who fired Regan for “misusing hospital prescription pads.”

“This defendant violated her responsibility and abused her position by allegedly prescribing powerful painkillers to her family and friends,” said Healey in a statement issued on July 20. “At a time when we’re working to combat the opioid epidemic, actions like these threaten that progress and help fuel addiction.”

Regan pleaded not guilty to the charges. She was released on her own personal recognizance with the conditions that she not consume drugs or alcohol and be subject to random drug screens, according to Healey’s office. She will be arraigned in Norfolk Superior Court on July 28 on three counts of illegally prescribing Oxycodone, one count of illegally prescribing Lorazepam and one count of illegally prescribing Clonazepam and in Plymouth Superior Court on Aug. 4 on one count of illegally prescribing Oxycodone. She is due back in Suffolk Superior Court on Sept. 13 for a pre-trial conference.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) claims that Regan wrote 119 prescriptions over a one-year period for a total of 10,007 tablets. Of those, only 12 were prescribed to legitimate patients at the medical center.

“The DEA is committed to investigating and bringing to justice those who divert and traffic Oxycodone,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “Opiate abuse is a major problem in the Commonwealth and throughout New England. The diversion of prescription pain killers, in this case oxycodone, contributes to the widespread abuse of opiates, is a gateway to heroin addiction, and is devastating our communities. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in Massachusetts and our strong partnership with Attorney General Healey’s Office to aggressively pursue anyone that illicitly distributes these drugs.”