The Latest: 4th lawsuit over outsize doses of pain medicine

The Latest on claims that hospital patients got potentially fatal doses of pain medicine (all times local):

2:45 p.m.

A fourth wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against an Ohio hospital and a now-fired doctor accused of ordering that 27 near-death patients get potentially fatal doses of pain medicine without their families’ knowledge.

The case was filed Tuesday against the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System and William Husel (HYOO’-suhl) over the March 2015 death of 65-year-old Jan Thomas.

It alleges Husel fraudulently withheld information about Thomas’ prognosis, led her family to believe she’d die naturally after being removed from life support, and didn’t disclose she’d get lethal fentanyl.

Mount Carmel says it fired the doctor, notified authorities and has put six pharmacists and 14 nurses on paid leave pending further investigation. It publicly apologized and says it’s adding more safeguards and cooperating with investigators.

Husel’s lawyers aren’t commenting.

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10:30 a.m.

An Ohio hospital system leader says a doctor’s orders for potentially fatal doses of pain medicine given to at least 27 patients were carried out by what he calls “a small number of good people who made poor decisions.”

The Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System says it fired the intensive care doctor, put six pharmacists and 14 nurses on paid leave pending further review and reported its findings to authorities.

In an internal video message obtained by WBNS-TV , President and CEO Ed Lamb says employees ignored existing safeguards.

Mount Carmel has notified affected families of the deceased patients .

It says patients were near death when they received outsize drug dosages. But some families suing the hospital and Dr. William Husel (HYOO’-suhl) are questioning whether that’s true.

Husel’s lawyers aren’t commenting.

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Information from: WBNS-TV, http://www.10tv.com/

Sourse: abcnews.go.com