Medication Mix-Up at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown Leads to Patient Adverse Reactions
Four patients at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown in Nashville experienced adverse reactions after receiving potassium phosphate instead of the intended anesthetic, mepivacaine, due to a medication mix-up in the hospital pharmacy on August 14. The hospital has self-reported the incident…
Nashville, TN, August 21, 2026 —
Nashville, TN – Four patients at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown hospital suffered adverse reactions on August 14 following a medication error within the hospital’s pharmacy. The patients were administered potassium phosphate, a medication intended for intravenous fluid replenishment, instead of mepivacaine, the anesthetic they were meant to receive.
The incident, which involved a mix-up in the hospital pharmacy, resulted in the incorrect medication being dispensed. The specific details regarding how the mix-up occurred were not immediately available.
Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown has reported the incident to state regulators. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has also launched an investigation into the matter. Information regarding the precise nature of the adverse reactions experienced by the four patients was not provided.
In response to the medication error, the hospital has stated that it has implemented changes to its pharmacy processes and safety protocols. These measures are intended to prevent similar errors from occurring in the future.
The hospital did not provide further details on the affected patients’ conditions or the outcomes following the administration of potassium phosphate. The TBI’s investigation is ongoing.
Story summarized from the original created by Kassidy Brown on www.wsmv.com, see more information here.
Media gallery
