February 11, 2025 from Zoe Beketova via the Yale Daily News
Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale University are facing a medical negligence lawsuit after five patients were allegedly left to suffer in the intensive care unit without proper pain medication. The plaintiffs, including one surviving ICU patient and the family members of four deceased patients, claim that a nurse at Yale’s Saint Raphael Campus diluted opioid painkillers and anti-anxiety medications with salt water.
The lawsuit states that in 2022, a Yale nurse noticed inconsistencies in medication bottles — signs that controlled substances may have been tampered with. A subsequent internal investigation revealed widespread dilution of hydromorphone, lorazepam, and diazepam. Despite this, nurse Sean Falzarano accessed and removed drugs even on days he wasn’t scheduled to work.
Falzarano Pleads Guilty
Falzarano pleaded guilty in December 2024 to tampering with Lorazepam vials and is awaiting sentencing in March 2025. His nursing license has been suspended. Investigators found tampered vials in his backpack along with tools used to reseal them. FDA analysis found that medication doses were reduced to as little as 1.35% of their intended strength.
Hospital Procedures Under Scrutiny
Despite Yale New Haven Health’s claims of robust safety measures, the plaintiffs allege a failure to adequately track drug inventories or limit access to storage. Falzarano retained access even when not on shift, and pharmacists were not required to verify proper returns of controlled substances.
This is not the first drug diversion case linked to Yale. In 2020, nurse Donna Monticone was found guilty of diverting large amounts of fentanyl from Yale’s fertility clinic, leading to a six-figure civil settlement.
Call for Accountability
“We look forward to getting patients and their loved ones the justice they deserve,”
said plaintiffs’ attorney Kelly Fitzpatrick. The families involved hope this case will drive changes in how hospitals manage and monitor high-risk medications.
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