A Texas anesthesiologist who has a history of disciplinary actions against him injected nerve-blocking and bronchodilation drugs into patient IV bags at a North Texas surgical center, resulting in at least one death and multiple cardiac emergencies, according to federal authorities.
Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr., 59, was arrested Wednesday in Plano on federal criminal charges related to the incidents.
“The safety of the nation’s pharmaceutical supply is critically important,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, in a Thursday news release. “The Department will vigorously prosecute this case consistent with the evidence gathered by our law enforcement partners.”
