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Jason D’Amico, 28, of Totowa was responsible for filling the Pyxis machines, which “are designed to dispense certain types of medications used during surgical procedures,” Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said Monday.
D’Amico took the potentially-lethal pain killer from several vials, replacing it with the solution, Valdes said.
He then returned the vials to the hospital pharmacy and “indicated that they were unsuitable for various reasons,” she said.
D’Amico also “placed the tampered vials back into the Pyxis machines in the operating rooms,” Valdes said.
Pfizer, which supplies the vials, conducted an analysis and discovered the tampering.
After a year-long internal investigation by the hospital, and further work by her office and Wayne police, Valdes said, D’Amico was arrested.
A grand jury indicted him on theft and drug tampering charges, the prosecutor said.
He’s since been fired and voluntarily surrendered his pharmacy license, she said.
A June 26 arraignment in Superior Court in Paterson was scheduled.
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