CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — A former nurse who injected saline solution into dozens of emergency room patients in need of pain relief will spend three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to tampering with consumer products.
Court documents show Jennifer L. Adams, 38, of Whitestown, tampered with vials of injectable pain medications while employed as an emergency room RN at Franciscan Health in Crawfordsville. Those medications included fentanyl, morphine, hydromorphone and ketamine.
Adams was accused of using an automated medication dispensing machine to gain access to the medications, then used them herself. To hide the scheme, she refilled the vials of medicine with saline solution and superglued the lids back on.
The former RN then used the saline solution on 30 to 40 unaware patients, who officials said had been admitted to the emergency department and were in need of pain relief.
An investigation found that Adams tampered with between two and seven vials of medicine during each shift that she worked.
“Emergency room patients depend on health care providers to give them the medicines they need. This defendant abused her position of trust to steal powerful prescription pain medications and give patients saline instead,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
Adams will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following her release from federal prison and will pay a $1,000 fine.
