SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Representatives for Virtua Health say it has ended the controversial practice of drug testing every pregnant woman, sometimes without consent, as they arrive for labor and delivery.
Virtua was sued last week by the New Jersey Attorney General’s office over the practice, which Attorney General Matt Platkin called a violation of patient civil rights.
At least two families complained they were under investigation by child protective services because of false positives on those drug tests. According to the attorney general’s complaint, among New Jersey’s 46 hospitals that reported to the state’s Division of Child Protection and Permanence, nearly a quarter of all referrals came from Virtua’s South Jersey locations.
In a statement sent to KYW Newsradio, Virtua spokesperson Daniel Moise said the policy had been under review internally since early this year. “The Women’s and Children leadership team reviewed and ultimately decided to revise the policy, moving to testing using a standardized process based on patient indications,” he said.
“After the policy was finalized and approved – and the necessary updates were made to the electronic medical records platform – providers and nurses received training/education on the new policy, which officially went into effect on Oct. 1, 2024.”
Moise said Virtua is committed to providing the best patient experience possible while also ensuring newborns receive the most important and necessary care, including for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.