Minn. Nurse Accused In Drug Theft Called Scapegoat

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - An attorney for a Minnesota nurse accused of stealing painkillers from a patient before surgery says his client is being made a "scapegoat" by the hospital.

Sarah May Casareto of Forest Lake is charged with theft of a controlled substance. She's accused of taking some of the painkiller intended for a patient before kidney stone surgery at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis last November.

Casareto's attorney, Max Keller, issued a statement saying an alleged comment by the nurse - telling her patient he needed to "man up" - was taken out of context.

Because of patient confidentiality, hospital officials say they can't discuss specifics. But a spokesman for Allina Hospitals and Clinics, owner of Abbott Northwestern, notes that Casareto's employment at the hospital ended as a result of her refusal to take a drug screen.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)