(RepublicanView.org) – An Oregan nurse has been named in a lawsuit against her employer for allegedly replacing a Fentanyl drip with water. Medford police recently said they are investigating drug theft in the city, and a wrongful death suit against Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center claims a nurse, identified as Dani Marie Schofield, replaced a 65-year-old man’s drip. The man died, and his estate is suing for $11.5 million.
Oregon Board of Nursing records show that Schofield agreed to a temporary license suspension last year while an investigation is conducted. No criminal charges, however, have yet been filed against her.
Attorney Justin Idiart told Oregon reporters that he represents nine clients whose medication was tampered with, adding that five other patients have also contacted him. Schofield was involved in the treatment of all affected patients, he claimed.
Mr. Idiart filed the suit following the death of Horace E. Wilson in February 2022. Wilson arrived at the Asante Rogue Medical Center after falling from a ladder and injuring his spleen. Physicians later noted strangely high white cell counts in his blood, as well as unexplainable fever and a marked decline in his overall health. They also discovered the presence of the treatment-resistant bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis. He died from multi-organ failure within weeks.
Court documents reveal that doctors ordered Schofield to administer a Fentanyl drip, but she allegedly used non-sterile tap water, sending more bacteria into Mr. Wilson’s bloodstream.
In January, Medford police announced an investigation into suspected Fentanyl theft while Oregon state officials declared a state of emergency due to the high number of overdoses linked to the deadly drug.
Democratic Governor Tina Kotek, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Peterson, and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler issued a joint statement saying, “Our country and our state have never seen a drug this deadly and addictive, and all are grappling with how to respond.” Experts say Fentanyl has killed more than 100,000 Americans in the past three years.
Copyright 2024, RepublicanView.org
