PITTSBURGH – A woman who had just delivered her first child is suing the hospital for sharing the results of her drug test with a child welfare agency.
Rachael Devore, 31, who gave birth at Magee-Women’s Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in June, had eaten bread with poppy seeds the day before she went into labor, reports the Associated Press. When the hospital took a sample of her urine the next day, she tested positive for opiates.
Devore’s newborn was then tested for drugs, but the test came up negative. The child welfare agency also asked Devore about her drug use and inspected her home several times.
The lawsuit claims the hospital defamed Devore and violated her doctor-patient confidentiality rights when it shared the results of her drug test with government officials. Her lawyer says there was no medical reason to test Devore and that the results were specifically barred from being used for non-medical reasons.
