Drug testing among pregnant patients has been controversial nationally. In New Jersey, Virtua Health is being sued for discrimination.

The state is claiming that Virtua has unlawfully discriminated on the basis of pregnancy and sex for its alleged lack of obtaining informed consent from pregnant patients, as well as its practice of requiring universal drug tests only for inpatient admittances to its labor and delivery or high-risk obstetrics units.

New Jersey’s attorney general has filed a complaint against Virtua Health, accusing the health system of performing drug tests on pregnant patients without their consent, a violation of their civil rights.

"[W]hen pregnant patients receive a positive test result, Virtua will automatically report them to the Division of Child Protection and Permanency for possible child abuse or neglect—even when the positive test occurs only because the patient ate a poppy seed bagel,

The state Attorney General’s Office and the Division of Civil Rights has filed a lawsuit against a South Jersey health system, alleging its drug-testing policy unfairly targets pregnant women. The suit was filed against Virtua Health,

Other patients admitted to hospitals within the South Jersey health care provider's network did not receive automatic screening for banned substances, according to the complaint filed in State Superior Court.