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Daytona Beach nurse, adjunct professor accused of stealing pain pills

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — An adjunct professor of nursing at Daytona State College is accused of stealing pain pills from a hospital.

The state is stepping in to restrict Matt Turpin’s nursing license in light of the allegations.

Turpin was arrested after patients complained they never got their medications.

Daytona Beach police said Turpin would routinely take students to the hospital to show them how to administer drugs, but because he was a trusted professor and nurse, they never suspected he would take patients’ drugs to support his addiction.

Turpin was arrested last year after workers at Halifax Hospital filed a report.

According to an emergency restriction of license order handed down three days ago by the Florida Department of Health, Turpin stole pain medication and hypodermic needles from Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach.

In November of last year, according to a police report, Turpin would withdraw medication from the dispensing system for patients, but they never received it.

Police found drugs in his backpack upon his arrest.

Documents said Turpin admitted that he would divert opioids such as Lortab and Percocet from the hospital and take the medication at home.

He also admitted he stole drugs when he first started working at Central Florida Regional Hospital in August of last year.

He told health officials he used the substances to cope with daily life stressors.

The Department of Health recommended Turpin enter treatment for nurses, but so far, he hasn’t complied.