Killer nurse on the loose in Medford, Oregon

[MillCreek]

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2024/01/police-investigate-incident-at-medford-hospital-officials-decline-to-release-details.html

https://kobi5.com/news/crime-news/only-on-5-sources-say-8-9-died-at-rrmc-from-drug-diversion-219561/

https://themessenger.com/news/oregon-nurse-swapped-tap-water-for-fentanyl-killing-multiple-hospital-patients-report

So it looks as if a member of the nursing staff was withdrawing Fentanyl from the sterile vials and replacing it with non-sterile tap water.  It looks as if several patients have died from infections.

[sumpnz]

Do they have not a suspect or are they just not naming him/her?

[230RN]

Makes you wonder about the water supply in Medford... although I guess injection of any tap water would be uncool.

How is it the legitimate later users of the medicine would not notice the tampering?

[MillCreek]

Makes you wonder about the water supply in Medford... although I guess injection of any tap water would be uncool.

How is it the legitimate later users of the medicine would not notice the tampering?

Having had the misfortune to investigate many of these cases, the person withdraws the liquid medication from a multi-use vial or a single-use syringe.  They then refill the vial or syringe with another liquid so that the vial or syringe appears full.  If you have the sense that God gave a goose and you give two shits about your patients, you refill the vial with sterile saline to prevent exactly this sort of thing from happening.

[WLJ]

If you have the sense that God gave a goose and you give two shits about your patients, you refill the vial with sterile saline to prevent exactly this sort of thing from happening.

Not exactly hard to find in a hospital and I doubt they keep track of it like they do other stuff.

[230RN]

Well, I was thinking of subsequent legitimate users noticing the puncture marks on the adulterated medicine bottle, but I guess that wouldn't be unusual anyway.

I just had the amusing thought of another fentanyl thief taking the previously-adulterated liquid out of a violated bottle.  Just deserts and swift direct justice and petard-hoisting and all that.