A Meadville woman has waived her right to a preliminary hearing on charges she illegally obtained thousands of prescription painkillers while she was an employee in a doctor’s office — activity that could bring almost three decades behind bars if she’s found guilty.

Diana M. Frisina, 52, of 731 Baldwin St., Meadville, was charged by Meadville Police last year with a total of 18 counts — three counts each of access device fraud, theft by unlawful taking, theft by receiving stolen property, theft of a controlled substance by fraud or deception, criminal use of a communication facility and possession of a controlled substance.

Police allege Frisina used the credit card of Dr. Danilo Guanzon without his authorization to purchase painkillers from a medical supply company while she was employed in his Meadville office, according to Christopher Mitchell, the assistant Crawford County district attorney handling the case. She has not been charged with any sales of the drugs, he said.

Guanzon, a urologist, closed his Meadville office Dec. 30, 2009, but his Erie area office remains open. Calls to Guanzon’s Erie office for comment were not returned.

Police allege Frisina purchased 13,000 pills of propoxyphene between January 2003 and July 2009; 10,100 pills of butalbital between July 2002 and July 2009; and 7,600 pills of hyrodocodone between Novem-ber 2002 and July 2009.

Propoxyphene is an opioid medicine that has been marketed in approved drugs such as Darvon and Darvocet and is used to relieve mild to moderate pain, according to the federal Food and Drug Administration’s Web site. Opioids are pain relievers that act on the central nervous system. Like all narcotics, they may become habit-forming if used over long periods.

Butalbital is taken for relief from tension headaches. It’s a combination of substances with sedative and pain managing properties that targets the central nervous system, and it provides relief by easing the stressed muscles located on the neck and shoulders.

Hyrdocodone is an opioid medicine used to relieve moderate to severe pain.

Frisina Monday waived her right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Justice William Chisholm and was bound over to the next term of court.

If convicted on all charges, Frisina faces up to 28 years in prison.

She was released on her own recognizance.