Former ICU Nurse Accused Of Replacing Fentanyl With Tap Water

Nurse with blue gloves adjusting IV

Photo: isayildiz / iStock / Getty Images

A former ICU nurse from Oregon is facing numerous charges after she was accused of replacing liquid fentanyl with tap water. Dani Mari Schofield was arrested following a seven-month investigation and charged with 44 counts of second-degree assault.

Authorities said that Schofield allegedly stole the liquid fentanyl for personal use. The 44 charges stem from the 44 patients who were affected by Schofield's alleged actions.

The investigation began after Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center notified the police about concerns over a rise in bacterial infections in patients who were receiving painkillers via an IV drip.

A lawsuit filed in March alleged that Horace Wilson, a patient who was hospitalized with a ruptured spleen and broken ribs after falling over a ladder in January 2022, died because his pain medication was replaced with nonsterile tap water, which caused a bacterial infection.

It is unknown if any other patients died while under the care of Schofield.

Schofield left the hospital in July 2023 and voluntarily agreed to a nursing license suspension in November 2023, "pending completion of an investigation" of her alleged drug diversion.


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