An employee at a nursing home in New Hope admitted stealing prescription painkillers from "12 to 24 patients" over a four-month period, the Minnesota Department of Health reported Thursday.

The employee, who was not identified, was responsible for administering medications to patients at the North Ridge Care Center, and has since been fired, the Health Department said. There was no evidence that patients suffered as a result of the thefts, the investigators said.

The Health Department said it launched its investigation last November, after receiving a complaint that the employee had stolen painkillers from two patients, including one who was recovering from surgery.

The case came to light when a nurse noted a discrepancy in a patient's medication records. The suspect had left work at 5 p.m., but recorded giving the patient a dose of oxycodone at 6:45 p.m., according to the investigative report. When confronted, the employee admitted stealing two oxycodone pills, and later told investigators that the thefts had begun four months earlier, after suffering a back injury. The employee could not recall the names of all the victims, the investigation said.

In addition to firing the employee, the nursing home has "put in a system to randomly audit narcotic logs and prevent future diversion," the Health Department said.

The case has been forwarded to the Hennepin County attorney's office for possible prosecution, the Health Department said.

Maura Lerner