Case Database
Filter every documented case by date, drug, state, setting, role, prosecution status, and penalty. Search accepts brand or generic drug names, facility names, and cities.
Showing 730 of 730 cases · page 6 of 15.
| Case / When | Where | Setting | Drug | Method | Role | Prosecution status | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Alabama Pharmacist Sentenced for Diverting Tens of Thousands of Oxycodone Pills from His Own Pharmacy
2023-11-03
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Alabama Gadsden, Alabama |
Retail pharmacy (Midtown Pharmacy), Gadsden, Alabama | Oxycodone and hydrocodone | Pharmacist in charge over-ordered oxycodone from distributors, diverted the surplus stock bottles, and repackaged and resold the pills outside the pharmacy | not stated | Sentenced November 2023, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, to 54 months in prison | $110,620 (forfeiture) | source |
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Tennessee Board of Nursing accepts surrender of registered nurse over Pulaski diversion
2023-11
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Tennessee Pulaski, Tennessee |
not stated | not stated | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Tennessee Board of Nursing suspends registered nurse over Crossville diversion
2023-11
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Tennessee Crossville, Tennessee |
not stated | not stated | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Tennessee Board of Nursing suspends registered nurse over Dyersburg diversion
2023-11
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Tennessee | not stated | not stated | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Tennessee Board of Pharmacy places on probation pharmacy technician over Covington diversion
2023-11
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Tennessee | not stated | not stated | not stated | Pharmacy technician | not stated | none documented | source |
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Iowa Nurse Pleads Guilty to Diverting Fentanyl from Waterloo Hospital via False Wasting
2023-10-11
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Iowa Waterloo, Iowa |
Hospital, Waterloo, Iowa (part of a multi-hospital network) | Fentanyl, hydromorphone, and morphine | Falsely documented wasting full vials after patients purportedly refused the drug, then diverted the undocumented remainder for personal use | not stated | Pleaded guilty, October 2023, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa; nursing license forfeited; sentencing pending | none documented | source |
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Jacksonville Surgical Center Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Hydromorphone
2023-10-03
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Florida Jacksonville, Florida |
Outpatient surgical center | Injectable hydromorphone | Emptied vials, refilled with saline, glued caps, and falsified administration records to conceal the theft | not stated | Pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product (Oct. 2023); sentencing pending | none documented | source |
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Registered nurse diverted and consumed Oxycodone on-shift in cardiac surgery unit
2023-10
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Oregon | PeaceHealth of Riverbend Medical Center | Oxycodone | diverted and consumed Oxycodone while working on-shift; disclosed to the Board | not stated | voluntarily surrendered registered nurse license | none documented | source |
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Agency nurse accused of diverting fentanyl at Watertown hospital; interim suspension
2023-10
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Wisconsin Watertown, WI |
a hospital located in Watertown, Wisconsin | fentanyl | Alleged diversion and use of fentanyl while working as an agency nurse assigned to a hospital located in Watertown, Wisconsin; the Board had not determined whether any statutes or rules were violated. | not stated | Interim order accepted; privilege to practice as a registered nurse in Wisconsin under the Nurse Licensure Compact suspended during the pendency of the disciplinary matter, effective 10/12/2023. | none documented | source |
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VA nurse pleaded guilty to stealing fentanyl, morphine and hydromorphone
2023-10
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Colorado Aurora, CO |
Denver Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System | fentanyl, morphine and hydromorphone | stealing fentanyl, morphine and hydromorphone from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Denver | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 14 months in prison | none documented | source |
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VA pharmacy supervisor suspected of stealing painkillers and testosterone over five years
2023-10
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Utah Salt Lake City, UT |
George Wahlen Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System | painkillers and testosterone | suspected of stealing more than 24,000 painkillers and 25 vials of testosterone over five years | not stated | Suspected; no disposition stated | none documented | source |
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Traveling nurse fired from Little Rock hospital after positive fentanyl test; Arkansas board ordered cease and desist
2023-10
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Arkansas | Hospital in Little Rock | Fentanyl (positive drug test) | not stated | Traveling registered nurse practicing under the Nurse Licensure Compact | not stated | none documented | source |
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Idaho Falls assisted living employee entered Alford plea to financial card charge after residents' hydrocodone was allegedly swapped for acetaminophen
2023-10
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Idaho | Assisted living center in Idaho Falls | Hydrocodone (allegedly replaced with acetaminophen) | not stated | Assisted living center employee | not stated | none documented | source |
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Janesville Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl Vials
2023-09-14
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Wisconsin Janesville, Wisconsin |
Hospital | Fentanyl | Withdrew fentanyl, substituted saline, resealed vial stoppers with glue, and returned tampered vials to the dispensing cabinet | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment and a $30,000 fine (Sept. 2023) | $30,000 (criminal fine) | source |
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Kansas City, Kansas grocery pharmacy settles allegations of dispensing before receiving prescriptions
2023-09-14
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Kansas | Retail pharmacy in Kansas City, Kansas | Controlled substances (unspecified) | not stated | Retail pharmacy owned by a Kansas City, Kansas company | not stated | none documented | source |
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Central Illinois pharmacy technician sentenced to 30 months for diverting hydrocodone and other controlled substances
2023-09-13
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Illinois | Pharmacy, Central District of Illinois | Hydrocodone, alprazolam, promethazine with codeine | not stated | Pharmacy technician | not stated | none documented | source |
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Louisiana registered nurse placed on stayed suspension and probation on a charge of diverting non-narcotic medication
2023-09-13
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Louisiana | not stated | not stated | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Out-of-state compact nurse ordered to stop practicing in Louisiana on charges including diversion of a controlled substance and a drug screening violation
2023-09-13
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Louisiana | not stated | not stated | not stated | Nurse practicing in Louisiana on a multistate compact privilege | not stated | none documented | source |
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Louisiana nurse ordered probated on any reinstatement after charges of controlled-substance diversion, falsified records and a criminal conviction
2023-09-13
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Louisiana | not stated | not stated | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Out-of-state compact nurse ordered to stop practicing in Louisiana on charges of controlled-substance diversion and failure to cooperate
2023-09-13
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Louisiana | not stated | not stated | not stated | Nurse practicing in Louisiana on a multistate compact privilege | not stated | none documented | source |
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ICU nurse at Mercy Hospital in Ardmore pleaded guilty to stealing fentanyl and hydromorphone and swapping pain medication with tap water
2023-09
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Oklahoma Ardmore, OK |
Mercy Hospital in Ardmore | fentanyl and hydromorphone | Stole fentanyl and hydromorphone intended for ICU patients and swapped pain medication with tap water in March and April 2022. | not stated | Pleaded guilty to tampering with pain medications; admitted and confessed to the conduct. | none documented | source |
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Registered nurse convicted of tampering with fentanyl citrate vials and obtaining controlled substance by fraud at Chamberlain hospital
2023-09
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South Dakota Chamberlain, SD |
a hospital in Chamberlain, South Dakota | fentanyl citrate for injection | Tampered with a vial of fentanyl citrate for injection by removing the fentanyl and replacing the majority of it with saline solution, then returned the tampered vial to storage knowing the diluted fentanyl could be dispensed to surgical patients; also obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, and subterfuge. | not stated | Convicted and sentenced to two years of probation and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. | none documented | source |
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Hospital nurse tampered with fentanyl vial, replacing drug with saline
2023-09
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South Dakota Pierre, SD |
a Chamberlain hospital | fentanyl citrate | Tampered with a vial of fentanyl citrate stored by the hospital: removed the fentanyl for injection and replaced most of it with saline solution, then returned the tampered vial to storage knowing the diluted fentanyl could be dispensed to surgical patients for severe pain. | not stated | Sentenced to two years of probation on September 11, 2023, for obtaining a controlled substance. | none documented | source |
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Admission of taking controlled substances from a pharmacy for personal use
2023-09
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Texas | Pharmacy | controlled substances | Admitted to taking drugs without authorization from the pharmacy for personal use (2 counts) | not stated | 90 days suspension + 5 year probation | none documented | source |
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Pharmacist charged with diverting hydrocodone/APAP tablets from a West Virginia pharmacy
2023-09
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Vermont Stonewood, WV |
a pharmacy in Stonewood, West Virginia | hydrocodone/APAP 10/325 mg tablets | Charged with taking between 25 and 50 hydrocodone/APAP tablets per day from the pharmacy for 3 to 5 years without a prescription; allegedly diverted tablets while at the pharmacy filling legitimate prescriptions for himself and/or family by accessing non-public areas and removing bottles; the pharmacy reported losses of 7,000 hydrocodone/APAP 10/325 mg tablets to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and the losses were attributed to the pharmacist. | not stated | Specification of Charges filed; requested relief includes revocation, suspension, reprimand, conditioning, or other discipline. | none documented | source |
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Ardmore ICU Nurse Pleads Guilty to Replacing Patients' Pain Medication With Tap Water
2023-08-31
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Oklahoma Ardmore, Oklahoma |
Hospital intensive care unit | Fentanyl and hydromorphone | Emptied vials, refilled with tap water, and returned them to the controlled storage locker for use on ICU patients | not stated | Pleaded guilty to tampering with consumer products (Aug. 2023); sentencing pending | none documented | source |
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Sioux City Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Opioids from Hospital Employer
2023-08-31
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Iowa Sioux City, Iowa |
Hospital, Sioux City, Iowa | Fentanyl, morphine, hydromorphone, and hydrocodone | Diverted drugs intended for patients and falsified controlled-substance disbursement log entries to conceal the shortage | not stated | Pleaded guilty, August 30, 2023, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa; sentencing pending | none documented | source |
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Nebraska Practical Nurse License Revoked Over Narcotic Count Discrepancies
2023-08-30
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Nebraska Nebraska |
not stated | Narcotic pain medications; facility not named in the board record | At one care facility in May 2023, failed to complete required medication counts and narcotic medications were later found missing, and failed to account for a controlled substance that was signed out but refused by the patient; at a second facility in June 2023, documented administering narcotic pain medications to patients who later denied receiving them and signed out narcotics at a greater frequency than ordered | not stated | Nebraska Board of Nursing revoked her ability to practice in the state on August 30, 2023 | none documented | source |
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Pharmacy technician's credential revoked for theft of controlled substances from employer pharmacy
2023-08
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Louisiana | employer pharmacy | controlled substances | theft of controlled substances from employer pharmacy | not stated | credential revoked; prohibited from applying or reapplying to practice or assist in the practice of pharmacy | none documented | source |
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Cumberland, Maryland Pharmacy Reaches Consent Decree Over Fraudulent Opioid Prescriptions
2023-07-06
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Maryland Cumberland, Maryland |
Retail pharmacy | Oxycodone and other opioids, often combined with benzodiazepines, carisoprodol, or buprenorphine | Filled fraudulent, high-MME prescriptions and dangerous drug combinations while ignoring documented red flags | not stated | Consent decree approved — $120,000 civil penalty plus mandatory red-flag protocol (July 2023) | $120,000 (civil settlement) | source |
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Pharmacist-in-charge diverted hydrocodone and tramadol powder from a pharmacy controlled-substance safe; Maryland license revoked
2023-07
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Maryland | a pharmacy in Virginia (name omitted from the order) | Hydrocodone powder (schedule II) and Tramadol powder (schedule IV) | Alleged theft of a controlled substance from the pharmacy; a pharmacy video camera captured the pharmacist-in-charge removing medication from the controlled substance safe and placing it in his pocket or into a cup; an inventory found 847 mg of tramadol powder and 2,947 mg of hydrocodone powder missing; the pharmacy president stated the pharmacist admitted taking controlled substances, including hydrocodone powder, and using them in his coffee and other beverages while working; the pharmacist admitted to Virginia Board investigators that he diverted controlled substances from the pharmacy for personal use between August 13, 2021 and October 13, 2021. | not stated | Maryland pharmacist license revoked; order reportable to the National Practitioner Data Bank | none documented | source |
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Minnesota home hospice nurse diverted controlled substances from 24 patients
2023-06-29
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Minnesota | Home hospice agency (patients receiving hospice care in their own homes) | Controlled substance medications (specific drugs not identified in the available excerpt) | not stated | Hospice registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Surgery Center RN Sentenced for Swapping Fentanyl for Saline in ~450 Vials
2023-06-27
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Florida Jensen Beach, Florida |
Circulating nurse, outpatient surgical center (Jensen Beach, Martin County, FL) | Fentanyl — swapped for saline in ~450 vials | Extracted fentanyl from vials Feb 28-Apr 18, 2022, replaced with saline, returned vials to the center for use on patients | not stated | Sentenced to 48 months + 3 yrs supervised release | none documented | source |
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Wilmington family-medicine physician paid $170,000 to resolve allegations of unlawful opioid prescribing
2023-06-23
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North Carolina | Family medicine practice in Wilmington | Oxycodone and other Schedule II opioids, benzodiazepines and muscle relaxers | not stated | Physician | not stated | none documented | source |
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Cheshire Medical Center Pays $2 Million After Nurse Stole Fentanyl IV Bags
2023-06-22
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New Hampshire Keene, New Hampshire |
Cheshire Medical Center (Keene, NH) | Fentanyl IV bags + other controlled substances | Theft from dispensing machine; hospital-wide recordkeeping failures | not stated | Civil settlement, $2 million — Jun 22, 2023 | $2,000,000 (civil settlement) | source |
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New Hampshire hospital paid $2 million to settle DEA record-keeping allegations after fentanyl diversion
2023-06-22
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New Hampshire | Regional medical center in Keene, New Hampshire | Fentanyl bags; 283 diverted and 163 more unaccounted for | not stated | Hospital registrant (employed nurse diverted fentanyl) | not stated | none documented | source |
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New Hampshire hospital agreed to pay $2 million to settle allegations that poor drug records allowed theft
2023-06-21
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New Hampshire | Cheshire Medical Center, including its intensive care unit | not stated | not stated | Hospital (controlled-substance recordkeeping) | not stated | none documented | source |
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CVS pharmacy manager diverted hydromorphone tablets and liquid solution for personal use; license revoked
2023-06
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Vermont Berlin, VT |
a CVS Pharmacy in Berlin, Vermont | hydromorphone 8 mg tablets and liquid hydromorphone 1 mg/mL solution | Diverted controlled substances from the pharmacy for personal use from about March 2021 to September 2021; admitted diverting approximately 100 hydromorphone 8 mg tablets from a 100-count bottle over several months and an unknown amount of liquid hydromorphone 1 mg/mL solution. Documented the expected tablet count as in stock knowing the count was off because of the diversion, ordered liquid hydromorphone with no legitimate reason, and told investigators he replaced the diverted liquid volume with distilled water to make the bottle appear full; testing revealed diphenhydramine in the solution. | not stated | License revoked; the Board of Pharmacy found the pharmacist in default and treated the Specification of Charges as proven | none documented | source |
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National chain pharmacy manager disciplined after oxycodone reported lost/stolen as employee pilferage
2023-06
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Maryland Waldorf, MD |
a national chain pharmacy | Oxycodone HCL 10 mg and 15 mg tablets | The pharmacy reported an occurrence classified as employee pilferage; a DEA report listed oxycodone HCL 10 mg and 15 mg tablets lost or stolen. The Board found the pharmacist violated patient safety and standard-of-care rules for filling questionable CII prescriptions without validation and for refusing-to-dispense requirements; fraud and false-record charges were dismissed as unsubstantiated. | not stated | Consent order: license reprimanded, placed on probation for at least one year, required continuing education, and a $1,000 fine. | none documented | source |
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Montgomery County Pharmacy Reaches Consent Decree Over Fraudulent Opioid Dispensing
2023-05-31
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Maryland Germantown, Maryland |
Retail pharmacy | Opioids dispensed concurrently with stimulants | Filled fraudulent prescriptions for out-of-area patients and high-MME, cash-paid combinations while ignoring red flags | not stated | Consent decree approved — $100,000 civil penalty; pharmacist license surrendered (May 2023) | $100,000 (civil penalty) | source |
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Raleigh-Area Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Surgical Patients' Painkillers
2023-05-22
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North Carolina Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina |
Surgical practice, Fuquay-Varina/Raleigh, NC | Fentanyl, morphine, meperidine | Extracted drug from 78+ vials, refilled with saline | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced May 2023 to 48 months | none documented | source |
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Cape Girardeau Nurse Admits Taking Leftover Fentanyl from Hospital
2023-05-05
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Missouri Cape Girardeau, Missouri |
Saint Francis Medical Center, ED (Cape Girardeau, MO) | Fentanyl — leftover/tampered vials | Self-administered leftover fentanyl from tampered vials | not stated | Pleaded guilty May 2023; sentencing pending | $5,000 (criminal fine) | source |
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Surgical practice nurse sentenced for tampering with fentanyl, morphine, and meperidine and replacing them with saline
2023-05
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North Carolina Raleigh, NC |
a Raleigh-area surgical practice | fentanyl, morphine, and meperidine | extracted medication from vials of fentanyl, morphine, and meperidine and replaced it with saline, compromising at least 78 vials, including those intended for surgical patients; testing found compromised vials contained less than 15% of the actual medication and that tampering rendered multiple vials unsterile | not stated | sentenced to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release; pleaded guilty to the charges; plea agreement requires permanent surrender of the nursing license | none documented | source |
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Pharmacy technician's credential revoked for theft of oxycodone tablets from a patient's prescription
2023-05
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Louisiana | Pharmacy | oxycodone | theft of eight oxycodone tablets from a patient's prescription | not stated | credential revoked; prohibited from applying or reapplying to practice or assist in the practice of pharmacy | none documented | source |
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Denver Paramedic Supervisor Sentenced for Stealing 1,900 Vials of Fentanyl
2023-04-19
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Colorado Denver, Colorado |
Paramedic department, Denver-area hospital (Denver, CO) | Fentanyl — ambulance narcotics kits | Stole ~1,900 vials over 4 years; falsified logs; refilled vials with saline | not stated | Sentenced Apr 19, 2023 — 3 years + 3 yrs supervised release | none documented | source |
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Chicago-Area Rehab Center Nursing Director Pleads Guilty to Diluting Patients' Morphine
2023-04-11
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Illinois Chicago, Illinois |
Medical rehabilitation center | Liquid morphine | Removed morphine from prescribed bottles, diluted remaining doses with another liquid, and administered the weakened doses to patients | not stated | Pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product (April 2023); sentencing pending | none documented | source |
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Hospital nurse accused of diverting fentanyl from CHI Health St. Elizabeth
2023-04
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Nebraska Lincoln, NE |
CHI Health St. Elizabeth | fentanyl | Allegedly took fentanyl from the hospital and improperly accounted for fentanyl waste in medical records; an audit found fentanyl checkouts with discrepancies in May and June 2022; a urine test was positive for fentanyl according to court documents. | not stated | Charged with acquiring a controlled substance by fraud; arrest warrant issued; not yet arrested; resigned from the position. | none documented | source |
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Nursing home director of nursing used pre-signed prescription pads to divert hydrocodone
2023-04
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Alabama Montgomery, AL |
nursing home | hydrocodone | Used pre-signed prescription pads left by the facility's medical director to fax fraudulent prescriptions to the facility's pharmacy, then received and kept the narcotics from the pharmacy's courier instead of administering them | not stated | Pleaded guilty to Theft of Property Second Degree; sentenced to 18 months in community corrections and surrendered nursing license | none documented | source |
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Missoula Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Opioids Flagged by Distribution Audit
2023-03-22
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Montana Missoula, Montana |
Hospital (St. Patrick Hospital) | Oxycodone, hydromorphone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, morphine | Ordered opioids at above-peer rates and diverted hospice-style waste amounts by substituting saline before disposal | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 3 years' probation (March 2023) | none documented | source |
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Kansas Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Fentanyl and Hydromorphone Vials
2023-03-13
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Kansas Overland Park, Kansas |
Menorah Medical Center (Overland Park, KS) | Fentanyl + hydromorphone | Removed vials from dispensing cabinet, refilled with substitute liquid | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced Mar 2023 to 18 months | none documented | source |
Every filtered view has its own URL, so it can be linked or bookmarked. The same filters work on the JSON feed: /api/cases.json.
What each column does and doesn't cover
Every case states When (date) and Where (state) — 730 of 730. Beyond that, a blank cell means the source record does not state that fact, not that it did not happen:
- Setting: stated in 649 of 730 cases (89%)
- Drug: stated in 657 of 730 cases (90%)
- Method: stated in 474 of 730 cases (65%)
- Prosecution status: stated in 474 of 730 cases (65%); a documented penalty (fine, settlement, or restitution) exists for 77 of 730 cases (11%)
- Role: stated in only 255 of 730 cases (35%) — filtering or sorting by role silently hides the rest of the registry, which may still describe the same role in prose without a structured field
Why: documented failure modes
A separate text analysis of the 723 case summaries found 371 cases (51.3%) matching at least one named failure-mode pattern below. 352 cases (48.7% of 723) matched none of these categories - most of these are short board-order summaries ("licensee diverted controlled substances from their employer") that state an outcome without describing a mechanism, not cases where no failure occurred. A case can match zero, one, or several categories — these are corpus-level counts, not a per-case tag, and are not used as a row filter above: reproducing the exact category membership per case from the stored patterns did not exactly match this file's hand-curated counts on independent re-check, so no individual case here is labeled with a "why" that this code cannot verify.
Text names an act of replacing/refilling the drug with a named substitute (saline, water, an OTC pill, a cleaning product, etc.), OR uses swap/dilute/tamper to describe the same act, so the altered container went back into use looking unchanged.
Text uses stole/stealing/embezzled to describe removal of controlled substances.
Text uses a form of "falsif-" within 60 characters of a record-type noun (chart, inventory, transaction, receipt, prescription, etc.).
Text explicitly characterizes the prescription(s) as fraudulent, forged, invalid, or issued outside legitimate medical practice (including "pill mill" language).
Text names an automated dispensing cabinet/machine, or the acronym ADC, as part of the mechanism.
Text describes recording or claiming drug as "waste" (when it was not), pulling drug from a waste stream, or wastage that was not independently witnessed.
Text describes cancelling, voiding, or falsely entering a system transaction (an order, a return-to-stock entry, a cancel entry) specifically to conceal a removal.
Text states the FACILITY (not an individual concealing personal use) failed to maintain required inventory/records, or names a recordkeeping violation/negligent recordkeeping as the basis for the government action.
Text describes using a fictitious patient profile, a false name/identity, stolen patient information, or impersonating a licensed prescriber to obtain the drug.
Text states a failure to notify or report a loss, theft, or suspected diversion to a regulator.
Disclaimer
Case summaries are based on public records (DOJ press releases, court documents, news reports). Charges are allegations unless a conviction is noted. Analysis is educational, not legal advice.
Last reviewed: September 2026 · Content is educational, not legal advice.