The 30-year-old woman pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to making a false document, using a false document, using a false document to prejudice another, possessing a prohibited weapon and possessing cannabis.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Caitlin McLeod said the woman was prescribed tramadol for an injury but had become addicted to the drug in 2019 while she was working as a nurse.
After she became addicted to the drug, she took her dog to the vet where he was prescribed tramadol for an injury.
She visited several pharmacies with a prescription that asked for a 50 pack of 100mg tramadol tablets; however, she was refused service at some of them because staff suspected the prescription was fake, and they contacted the vet, the court heard.
Police found 47 tramadol tablets, vet script forms, the fake tramadol script saved on her laptop, an extendable baton and six ziplock bags of cannabis when her house was searched on April 17 earlier this year, Sen Constable McLeod said.
In an open and frank admission to police, the woman said she was taking up to 30 tramadol tablets a day and the extendable baton was for protection.
The woman’s defence solicitor Cally He said her client had suffered with pain conditions but couldn’t find a specialist to help manage them.
However, she is now on the right medication and her cravings have diminished after engaging with the Goulburn Valley Drug and Alcohol service, the court heard.
The woman also can no longer work as a nurse because she lost her registration, Ms He said.
Magistrate Olivia Trumble said she could understand the circumstances of how the woman got addicted to pain medication, and it was good she had found the right help this time.
The woman was placed on an adjourned undertaking to be of good behaviour and ordered to pay $500 to the court fund.
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