OR: Oregon Patients Needed Fentanyl But Got Tap Water — And It Went Unchecked For Nearly Two Years

Poor data and coordination between regulatory agencies contribute to hospital drug thefts, experts say

The news out of Medford, Oregon, in December 2023 was explosive: A nurse in the intensive care unit of a local hospital had reportedly stolen patients’ intravenous fentanyl and replaced it with unsterile tap water for months. Dozens of patients developed infections. At least three died.

But it wasn’t the first time Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center had discovered an employee stealing narcotics.

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