An Oregon hospital is facing a $303 million lawsuit after a nurse allegedly tampered with fentanyl supplies, leading to potential harm to patients.
At a Glance
- Attorneys filed a $303 million lawsuit against Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, Oregon.
- The lawsuit is on behalf of both living and deceased patients.
- A nurse, Dani Marie Schofield, is accused of replacing prescribed fentanyl with nonsterile tap water in IV drips.
- The lawsuit includes claims of wrongful death and medical malpractice, accusing the hospital of negligence.
- The hospital allegedly failed to monitor medication administration and prevent drug diversion.
Lawsuit Details and Allegations
Attorneys have filed a lawsuit amounting to $303 million against Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, citing the hospital’s failure to monitor and prevent medication tampering by one of their nurses, Dani Marie Schofield. The suit has been filed on behalf of both living and deceased patients affected by this disturbing negligence.
Schofield is accused of substituting prescribed fentanyl, a powerful opioid used for severe pain relief, with nonsterile tap water in the IV drips of patients she treated at the hospital. This act has allegedly led to bacterial infections among the patients.
Rippling Effects of Negligence
The lawsuit accuses the hospital of not adhering to basic protocols that ensure the safe administration of medication. The internal investigation, which linked the infections to the nurse’s access to patients in the ICU, found significant lapses in the hospital’s oversight mechanisms.
Schofield was arrested in June and charged with 44 counts of second-degree assault, all related to infections traced back to her misuse of controlled substances. She left her position at the hospital in July 2023 and later agreed to a voluntary suspension of her nursing license in November.
Plaintiffs’ Claims
Schofield is not named as a defendant in the new complaint, which instead targets the hospital’s alleged negligence. The lawsuit, filed by 18 plaintiffs, includes both nine living patients and the estates of nine deceased patients. It highlights the severe impact of the nurse’s actions, with claims covering medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and mental anguish.
The hospital, having informed patients in December about the fentanyl replacement causing bacterial infections, still faces the scrutiny of whether its regulatory safeguards are sufficient. With Medford police commencing an investigation after noticing a spike in central line infections from July 2022 to July 2023, the focus remains on institutional accountability and the prevention of future lapses.
