Nurse Charged with Tampering, Obtaining Opioids by Fraud
Nurse Charged with Tampering, Obtaining Opioids by Fraud
Registered nurse in a South Dakota hospital tampered with fentanyl vials meant for patients and replaced them with another liquid.
Lisa Merrigan, a former Registered Nurse, age 55, was convicted of Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Misrepresentation, Fraud, Forgery, Deception, and Subterfuge, and was sentenced to two years of probation and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Merrigan was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. She pleaded guilty on July 5, 2023.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between June 19, 2021, and September 11, 2021. Merrigan, worked as a registered nurse at a hospital in Chamberlain, South Dakota, during that time period. Merrigan tampered with a vial of fentanyl citrate for injection properly stored within the hospital, by removing the fentanyl citrate for injection from the vial and replacing the majority of it with saline solution. Merrigan then returned the tampered vial to storage, knowing that the diluted fentanyl citrate for injection could be dispensed to surgical patients at the hospital. Fentanyl citrate is a Schedule II controlled substance that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use to relieve severe pain during and after surgery. The fentanyl in the tampered vial was so diluted that had the vial been dispensed to a surgical patient, the pain management would have been minimal or unsuccessful.
Approximate date(s) of the diversion:
08/23/2021
Where the Diversion Occurred:
Chamberlain, South Dakota
Type of Healthcare Facility:
Hospital
Person Diverting:
Lisa Merrigan
Profession of the person diverting:
Nurse
Has the incident been reported?
e.g. to local law enforcement, county board of health, state licensure board, and/or federal DEA or FDA authorities?
Yes
To whom has the incident been reported?
Drug Enforcement Administration
