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DES MOINES, Iowa —
The Hope Law Firm represents more than 100 clients who have filed a class action lawsuit against Unity Point over a drug-switching case KCCI first reported in October at Methodist Hospital.
The lawsuit alleges Unity Point patients were exposed to the risk of intravenous HIV and Hepatitis C through an employee who tampered with narcotic medications.
The lawsuit claims multiple patients have tested positive, and more are in fear.
According to the lawsuit, hundreds of Iowa patients endured “excruciating pain and torture by being given intravenous placebo in place of the intravenous narcotic pain medicines that were prescribed, and which the patients were charged for; patients who were given the placebo and complained of the pain medicine ‘not working’ were accused of drug seeking behavior.”
The lawsuit alleges that Unity Point was negligent in the hiring, training and supervision of the employee.
KCCI contacted Unity Point for comment on the lawsuit. Officials said they have not yet seen the lawsuit and will wait to comment until such time.
ORIGINAL INCIDENT REPORTED IN OCTOBER, 2016
A pharmacy tech claims he watered down the opioid prescriptions of hospital patients and stole the powerful painkillers.
The incident happened at Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.
Over the course of six weeks, 731 people may have been given the watered-down drugs.
Instead of patients receiving a prescribed painkiller called fentanyl, a drug 50 times more potent than heroin, as many as 731 people could have received nothing more than salt water.
Methodist Medical Center officials said the pharmacy tech had legitimate access to portable medication carts that are placed throughout the hospital where the fentanyl was stored.
Between August 26, 2016 and October 7, 2016, he allegedly used a syringe to replace the fentanyl with saline in 252 vials.
KCCI first learned these exclusive details from a viewer who is a patient at Methodist and wondered why the pain killers she was prescribed after spinal surgery did nothing to help.
Methodist officials said they are not sure where the pharmacy tech got the syringe and is now offering free HIV tests for anyone who is affected, though hospital officials said there is no risk and are only offering the test as a precaution.