Oregon hospital hit with $303 million suit after nurse accused of substituting tap water for fentanyl

Lawyers representing both living and deceased patients at an Oregon hospital have filed a $303 million lawsuit against the facility after a nurse was accused of substituting unsterile tap water for prescribed fentanyl in drips intravenously.

The wrongful death and medical malpractice lawsuit accuses Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center of Medford of negligence. The lawsuit says the hospital failed to monitor drug administration procedures and prevent their employees from misappropriating the drugs, among other claims.

A spokesman said the hospital had no comment.

Dani Marie Schofield, a former nurse at the hospital, was arrested in June and charged with 44 counts of second-degree assault. The charges stemmed from a police investigation into the theft and misuse of controlled substances that led to patient infections. She pleaded not guilty.

Schofield is not named or listed as a defendant in the complaint filed Tuesday. A separate lawsuit was filed against Schofield and the hospital earlier this year on behalf of the estate of a 65-year-old man who died.

The 18 plaintiffs in the new lawsuit include nine patients and the estates of nine patients who died. According to the lawsuit, the hospital began informing them in December that an employee had substituted fentanyl for tap water, causing bacterial infections.

“All of the plaintiff patients were infected with a bacteria uniquely associated with waterborne transmission,” the complaint says.

All of the plaintiffs experienced mental anguish, according to the suit, which seeks millions of dollars in damages for medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering for those who died.

Medford police began investigating late last year after hospital officials noticed a troubling increase in central line infections from July 2022 to July 2023 and told police they believed an employee had diverted the fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that has helped fuel the nation’s overdose epidemic, but it is also used in legitimate medical settings to relieve severe pain. Theft of drugs from hospitals is a long-standing problem.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.