For months in 2020, a nurse at a fertility clinic run by a New Haven academic medical practice secretly stole fentanyl from the medical supply, according to court records. Rather than simply removing the drug, the nurse drained vials for personal use, refilled them with saline, and placed them back on clinic shelves.
Patients undergoing egg retrieval procedures reported severe pain despite being told pain medication had been administered. One patient described crying out and rating her pain at a 10 during surgery while her physician believed the fentanyl should have been controlling her discomfort. Attorneys for patients say at least 95 fertility patients received what amounted to salt water instead of a potent painkiller.
The nurse pleaded guilty in March 2021 in federal court to tampering with a consumer product, the fentanyl intended for patients. Patients learned months after their procedures that the pain they experienced was the result of a crime rather than an oversight.
A university spokesperson said the medical practice has since instituted new measures to ensure its facilities have rigorous processes, procedures, and safeguards in place. The case drew national attention to drug diversion by healthcare providers.