Dawn Drum, Product Tampering, Wisconsin 2021

In a shocking case of medical malfeasance, Dawn Drum, a 54-year-old former licensed registered nurse from Janesville, Wisconsin, has agreed to plead guilty to a product tampering charge. The crime occurred in November 2021 while Drum was employed at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital.

The details of the case are disturbing. According to the plea agreement, Drum tampered with vials of fentanyl by withdrawing the drug from the vials and replacing it with saline, and then resealed the vial stopper with what appeared to be superglue. She then put the tampered vials back into a Pyxis machine, an automated medication dispensing system, so that the tampered fentanyl vials would be available for use with other patients at the hospital.

An audit of the Pyxis transactions in Drum’s name revealed that she had an excessive pattern of fentanyl overrides and wastes when compared to other employees in 2021. In November 2021, hospital management confronted Drum with this discrepancy and asked her to take a drug test. Drum refused and instead resigned from her position at the hospital.

The charges against Drum were the result of an investigation conducted by the Food and Drug Administration–Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration–Diversion Control Division. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney Daniel J. Graber.

Under the plea agreement, the parties are recommending that the Court impose a sentence of 18 months imprisonment and a fine of $30,000 due and payable immediately at sentencing. A date for Drum’s plea hearing has not been scheduled. The statutory maximum penalties for the product tampering charge are 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

As a former nurse, Drum’s actions have put the lives of countless patients at risk. Her betrayal of the public trust is a sobering reminder of the importance of accountability in the medical profession.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of product tampering and the importance of ensuring the integrity of medical supplies. It also highlights the importance of vigilance in the medical profession and the need for healthcare institutions to regularly audit their medication dispensing systems.

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant/Respondent Name: Dawn Drum

Criminal Charges: Product tampering while employed as a Registered Nurse

City and State: Janesville, Wisconsin

Date: November 2021

Sentence or Outcome: Agreed to plead guilty to product tampering charge, recommended sentence of 18 months imprisonment and a fine of $30,000

Dollar Amounts: $30,000 fine, $250,000 statutory maximum fine

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