Case Database
Every documented case, filterable by year, state, setting, drug, and prosecution status. Filters are reflected in the URL, so a filtered view can be linked or bookmarked. Also available as JSON at /api/cases.json with the same filter parameters.
Showing 224 of 724 cases. Clear all filters to see every case.
| Case / When | Where | Setting | Drug | Method | Role | Prosecution status | Penalty | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Pediatric intensive care nurse sentenced after guilty plea to obtaining morphine by fraud
2026-09
|
Maryland Baltimore, MD |
University of Maryland Medical Center Pediatric Intensive Care Unit | morphine | diverted morphine from a pediatric intensive care unit; documented an 8:30 a.m. intravenous morphine dose for a patient but did not document a later dose she told another nurse she had given; pleaded guilty to obtaining morphine by fraud | not stated | Sentenced to 1 year, suspending all but 30 days, with two years of supervised probation; prohibited from caring for children during probation; excluded from state and federal healthcare programs. Pleaded guilty June 20, 2026; sentenced Sept. 9, 2026 in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. | none documented | source |
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Former VA Medical Center Nurse Indicted for Stealing Hydromorphone
2026-08-21
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Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota |
VA Medical Center (Minneapolis, MN) | Hydromorphone (opioid) | Fraudulent obtaining over ~13 months; charged under 21 U.S.C. § 843(a)(3) | not stated | Indicted Aug 21, 2026; presumed innocent | none documented | source |
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West Virginia Hospital System Settles Federal Controlled-Substance Recordkeeping Case
2026-07-13
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West Virginia Morgantown, West Virginia |
West Virginia University Health System facilities, including J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, Morgantown, WV | Controlled substances broadly; DEA said most diverted drugs were abused by the medical providers who took them | Between 2017 and 2024, WVUHS facilities systemwide failed to notify the DEA of thefts or significant losses of controlled substances, made errors in controlled-substance orders, failed to maintain accurate and current inventory records, and failed to ensure proper authority for DEA order forms, despite internal reports as early as 2017-2022 of suspected employee diversion | not stated | Agreed to pay $4,177,139 and sign a three-year Memorandum of Agreement with the DEA, announced July 13, 2026 | none documented | source |
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Missouri nurse forged oxycodone and Percocet prescriptions using a coworker's pad and DEA number
2026-07-10
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Missouri | Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas; prescriptions filled at pharmacies in Kansas and Missouri | Oxycodone and Percocet (13 forged prescriptions; 1,980 tablets total) | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Muncie hospital pharmacy license put on probation after pharmacy manager diverted opioids using unused transaction types
2026-07
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Indiana Muncie, IN |
IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital | hydromorphone, methadone, morphine | The attorney general's administrative complaint alleged the hospital failed over a 44-month period to maintain effective controls against theft and diversion of controlled substances, allowing a pharmacy manager to repeatedly remove Schedule II narcotics through normally-unused transaction types while disguising the withdrawals as legitimate transfers to two outpatient clinics. Investigators said the reported losses included more than 32,000 milliliters of hydromorphone, more than 3,300 milliliters of methadone solution, more than 4,000 methadone tablets and smaller amounts of morphine, with the hospital estimating its loss at more than $121,000. | not stated | The Indiana Board of Pharmacy voted 3-2 to accept a revised settlement placing the hospital's pharmacy license and controlled substance registration on indefinite probation for at least three years, imposing the maximum $44,000 civil fine plus a $5 statutory fee, and requiring quarterly independent audits, two unannounced compliance inspections, a drug diversion certificate program for pharmacy leadership and additional diversion-prevention continuing education. | none documented | source |
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Registered nurse charged with unlawfully obtaining oxycodone, hydromorphone and fentanyl at a Horry County hospital
2026-07
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South Carolina Horry County, SC |
Grand Strand Medical Center | oxycodone, hydromorphone and fentanyl | Charged with theft of controlled substances after allegedly unlawfully obtaining quantities of oxycodone, hydromorphone and fentanyl on dates between Jan. 10 and April 11 while working as a registered nurse; also accused of furnishing false material or omitting material from an application, report or other required document, and the whereabouts of the medication could not be accounted for. | not stated | Arrested and charged with three counts of theft of controlled substances and nine counts of violation of drug distribution law; released from J. Reuben Long Detention Center on a $12,000 bond. The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation temporarily suspended the nurse's license on April 22, 2026; the hospital's parent company said the individual was no longer employed after an internal investigation. | none documented | source |
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VA medical center nurse pleads guilty to diverting and tampering with psychiatric patients' stimulant medications
2026-07
|
Vermont White River Junction, VT |
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, White River Junction | amphetamine/dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate (Schedule II), replaced with hydroxyzine | Diverted controlled substances prescribed to psychiatric ward patients for her own use over a roughly eight-month period, removing amphetamine/dextroamphetamine from capsules, separating them and administering the empty or nearly empty capsules to patients; replaced the tablets with hydroxyzine to conceal her consumption of the diverted drugs, and acquired stimulants by misrepresentation, fraud, deception and subterfuge. | not stated | Pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of diverting drugs and tampering with medications; plea agreement stipulates forfeiture of her nursing license and sentencing is scheduled. | none documented | source |
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Indiana hospital pharmacy placed on probation after multi-year opioid diversion by pharmacy manager
2026-07
|
Indiana | Hospital pharmacy, Muncie (Delaware County) | Hydromorphone, methadone solution and tablets, morphine | not stated | Pharmacy manager (pharmacist); hospital pharmacy license disciplined | not stated | none documented | source |
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Tampa Bay Nurse Sentenced to Two Years for Tampering with and Stealing Injectable Opioids
2026-06-11
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Florida Tampa, Florida |
RN, Tampa Bay area hospital | Morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl (injectable) | Between Nov 2023 and Mar 2024, removed the drugs from their containers, replaced them with saline, and returned the containers to circulation for other patients while using the diverted drugs herself | not stated | Pleaded guilty Aug 6, 2025 to tampering with a consumer product; sentenced Jun 11, 2026 to 2 years federal prison | none documented | source |
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VA hospital psychiatric nurse diverted amphetamine/dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate and tampered with patient medications
2026-06
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Vermont White River Junction, VT |
Veterans Administration Medical Center in White River Junction | amphetamine/dextroamphetamine; methylphenidate; hydroxyzine | Diverted amphetamine/dextroamphetamine capsules from psychiatric patients, removed the regulated ingredients, and returned empty or nearly empty capsules to circulation; removed methylphenidate tablets and replaced them with hydroxyzine tablets for administration to patients; acquired amphetamine/dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate through fraud and deception. | not stated | Pleaded guilty to two felony counts; sentencing planned for Oct. 23; plea agreement capped the proposed sentence at 24 months, with a maximum penalty of 14 years and $500,000; agreed to forfeit a New Hampshire nursing license. | none documented | source |
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Indiana Emergency Nurse Sentenced Over Fentanyl Documentation Falsification
2026-05
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Indiana Fort Wayne, Indiana |
Parkview Hospital Randallia, Fort Wayne, IN | Fentanyl | In April 2024, while assigned to a patient in extreme pain, recorded in the dispensing system and a nursing app that fentanyl doses were given while her badge activity and other records showed she was not in the patient's room and the patient never received the medication; when confronted, denied taking the drug herself | not stated | Pleaded guilty to three of five charges; sentenced to two years in prison with two years suspended to probation, reported May 2026 | none documented | source |
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Pennsylvania mail-order pharmacy technician accused of diverting wakefulness-drug tablets
2026-04-29
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Pennsylvania | Health system mail-order pharmacy, Elysburg | Solriamfetol tablets, sold under the brand Sunosi; 300 tablets unaccounted for | not stated | Pharmacy technician | not stated | none documented | source |
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Chesapeake Hospital Nurse Pleads Guilty to Diverting Hydromorphone From Cancer and Sickle-Cell Patients
2026-04-24
|
Virginia Chesapeake, Virginia |
Registered nurse, hospital serving sickle-cell and cancer comfort-care patients (Chesapeake, VA) | Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) from patient-controlled analgesia pumps | Used patients' identifying information to access an automated medication-dispensing/monitoring system, diverted hydromorphone, replaced vials with water or diluted solution | not stated | Pleaded guilty Apr 24, 2026 to obtaining controlled substances by fraud; sentencing scheduled Aug 27, 2026, faces up to 15 years | none documented | source |
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Registered nurse removed fentanyl from medication safe without order or documentation and failed to document controlled substance administration/wasting; license revoked
2026-04
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Oregon | Grants Pass Surgery Center, Hearthstone Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Bay Area Hospital | fentanyl, oxycodone, hydromorphone, alprazolam, lorazepam, tramadol | removed fentanyl from a medication safe without a written order or documentation; failed to document administration or wasting of controlled substances; wasted oxycodone without allowing a witness to verify the medication; delayed wasting of controlled substances | not stated | Registered nurse license revoked | none documented | source |
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Hospital nurse accused of stealing opioids from patients at Grand Strand Medical Center
2026-04
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South Carolina Horry County, SC |
Grand Strand Medical Center | oxycodone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl | Allegedly stole opioid drugs on six separate occasions while working at the hospital, under the guise of providing them to patients, and then either failed to document taking them or fraudulently documented them as administered to a patient. | not stated | Arrested on several charges of theft of controlled substances and violating drug distribution law; released after posting $12,000 bail. | none documented | source |
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Denver Hospital Case Coordinator Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Patients' Oxycodone Prescriptions
2026-03-12
|
Colorado Denver, Colorado |
Case management coordinator with medical-record access, hospital / in-house pharmacy (Denver, CO) | Oxycodone prescriptions belonging to ~127 patients, Dec 2023-Jul 2024 | Used patients' identifying information to pick up their prescriptions, replaced pills with ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen, or loratadine | not stated | Pleaded guilty Mar 12, 2026 to tampering with a consumer product; sentencing set for June 10, 2026 | none documented | source |
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Vermont hospital endoscopy unit nurse diverted fentanyl and sedatives intended for patients
2026-03-05
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Vermont Barre, Vermont |
Licensed practical nurse, endoscopy unit, Central Vermont Medical Center (Barre, VT) | Fentanyl, meperidine, and midazolam | not stated | not stated | Charged with felony fraud or deceit involving a regulated drug; pleaded not guilty at March 5, 2026 arraignment | none documented | source |
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Seattle Anesthesiology Resident Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Hydromorphone While Treating Children
2026-02-02
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Washington Seattle, Washington |
Resident anesthesiologist rotating through Seattle Children's Hospital, Harborview Medical Center, and UW Medical Center | Fentanyl and hydromorphone | Stole and used pain medication meant for patients, including infants, while on duty between 2022-2024; returned vials to the pharmacy refilled with saline, claiming it was "wastage" | not stated | Arrested Jun 2025; pleaded guilty Oct 2025 to obtaining controlled substances by fraud; sentenced Feb 2, 2026 to 1 year supervised release + 200 hours community service | none documented | source |
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Hospital nurse found with Dilaudid and Hydrocodone waste in pocket from work
2026-02
|
Indiana | Methodist Hospital | Dilaudid; Hydrocodone; a narcotic drug | charged with possession of a narcotic drug and public intoxication; pled guilty to possession of a narcotic drug; had waste in pocket from work consisting of a Dilaudid pill and a Hydrocodone pill; terminated from Methodist Hospital | not stated | pled guilty in January 2025; completed probation in January 2026; terminated in August 2024; was unsuccessfully discharged from ISNAP in July 2025; board recommended renewal on indefinite probation, reengagement with ISNAP, a 3- to 5-year RMA, and CEUs | none documented | source |
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Former Boston-Area ICU Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Versed from Intubated Patient
2026-01-15
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Massachusetts Needham, Massachusetts |
ICU nurse, Boston-area hospital | Versed (midazolam) and fentanyl | On a July 16, 2022 overnight shift caring for an intubated, immobile ICU patient, checked out a bag of Versed and three bags of fentanyl without scanning them into the patient's medical records; found slumped over with three syringes in her pocket | not stated | Pleaded guilty Nov 2025 to unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud; sentenced Jan 15, 2026 to 3 years probation + 100 hours community service | none documented | source |
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New Hampshire emergency department nurse pleaded guilty after keeping partial opioid doses
2025-12
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New Hampshire | Regional medical center in Keene, New Hampshire | Fentanyl, morphine and hydromorphone (Dilaudid) | not stated | Emergency department nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Emergency Room Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl Vials at Michigan Hospital
2025-11-25
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Michigan Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan |
Registered nurse, emergency room, Ascension St. John Hospital, Grosse Pointe Park/Detroit, MI | Fentanyl | Removed fentanyl from vials, substituted another liquid, and returned tampered vials to locked drug storage; also stole vials outright for personal use | not stated | Pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product; sentenced Nov. 25, 2025 to two years in federal prison | none documented | source |
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Hospital lead pharmacy technician diverted Oxycodone by substituting Fludrocortisone during prepackaging for automated dispensing system
2025-11
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Maryland | a hospital in Prince George's County, Maryland | Oxycodone | Switched Oxycodone 5 mg tablets with Fludrocortisone 0.1 mg tablets during prepackaging to refill an automated medication dispensing system and entered zero-count refills to conceal the swap; admitted to personally ingesting the Oxycodone. | not stated | Registration revoked. | none documented | source |
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Nurse anesthetist at a Chattanooga hospital admitted diverting leftover fentanyl from surgeries, state consent order says
2025-11
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Tennessee Chattanooga, TN |
Erlanger Baroness Hospital (Erlanger Medical Center), surgery center | fentanyl | Admitted taking and abusing unused fentanyl that would otherwise have been wasted after surgical procedures, initially once or twice a week beginning in March 2025 and increasing to daily use by June 2025; coworkers reported the nurse appeared impaired while on duty in the surgery center on or around June 30, 2025, with slurred speech, extreme tiredness, swaying with eyes closed and head nodding; the nurse failed a drug test and was fired; a hospital audit found about five instances where the automated monitoring system did not flag missing drugs, plus additional inconsistencies between drug dispensing and waste documentation that should have been flagged. | not stated | Settled the Board of Nursing case by signing a consent order in November 2025; license placed on probation while attending drug counseling; not charged with any crime related to the case. | none documented | source |
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Yale New Haven Hospital nurse sentenced to federal prison for lorazepam tampering
2025-10
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Connecticut | Hospital, secure medication storage | Lorazepam | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Illinois hospital nurse fired over suspected opioid diversion loses federal discrimination appeal
2025-08-14
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Illinois | Acute care hospital | Two controlled opioids, including morphine, removed from a secure dispensing system | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Lakeland Nurse Sentenced to 5+ Years for Stealing Fentanyl at Five Tampa Bay Hospitals
2025-08-08
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Florida Lakeland, Florida |
Multiple hospitals, Tampa Bay area, FL | Fentanyl — IV bags and secure medication lockers | Diverted patients' IV fentanyl into a cup or locker, diluted a bag ~50% with saline, self-injected | not stated | Pleaded guilty Apr 28, 2025; sentenced to 5 years 3 months in federal prison | none documented | source |
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Indiana critical access hospital faces board complaint after DEA admonition over unreported diversion
2025-07-14
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Indiana | 25-bed critical access hospital; pharmacy staffed 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | none documented | source |
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Travel Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Hydromorphone at West Virginia Hospital
2025-07-03
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West Virginia Beckley, West Virginia |
Travel nurse, Raleigh General Hospital, Beckley, WV (employed Sept. 2021-Feb. 2022) | Hydromorphone | Used own biometrics and a patient's health information to open an automated medication dispensing/monitoring machine, siphoned off drug, diluted the remaining vial, and voided transactions to conceal the theft | not stated | Pleaded guilty to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and wrongful disclosure of health information; sentenced July 3, 2025 to 5 years prison; nursing license suspended indefinitely. Of the 5-year sentence, two years were for obtaining a controlled substance and three years for wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information. | none documented | source |
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Traveling Nurse Diverted Hydromorphone from Beckley Hospital Using Patients' Health Information
2025-07-03
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West Virginia Beckley, WV |
Raleigh General Hospital, Beckley, WV | Hydromorphone | Used biometrics and patients' health information to check out hydromorphone, siphoned off part of each vial, diluted the remainder, and canceled the transactions to conceal the removals | not stated | Sentenced Jul 3, 2025, to five years in prison; nursing privilege in WV indefinitely suspended | none documented | source |
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Eastern Pennsylvania hospital network pays $2.75 million to resolve controlled substances allegations
2025-07-02
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Pennsylvania | Multi-hospital health network, Lehigh Valley region | not stated | not stated | Hospital network as a registrant; conduct tied to pharmacy technician misconduct | not stated | none documented | source |
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Pennsylvania health system pays $2.75M to resolve DOJ claims over pharmacy technician diversion
2025-07-02
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Pennsylvania | Hospital pharmacy within a Pennsylvania health system | Controlled substances (specific drugs not identified) | not stated | Pharmacy technician (unnamed) | not stated | none documented | source |
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Travel nurse at Beckley hospital diverted hydromorphone, sentenced to five years
2025-07
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West Virginia | Raleigh General Hospital, Beckley, WV | Hydromorphone | not stated | Travel nurse (Kentucky resident) working in southern West Virginia | not stated | none documented | source |
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Oklahoma hospital night-shift nurse disciplined after morphine waste questioned and patient reported no dose
2025-05-20
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Oklahoma | Hospital | Morphine (Schedule II controlled dangerous substance) | not stated | Registered nurse working as a staff nurse on the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift | not stated | none documented | source |
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Detroit-area emergency room nurse pleads guilty to tampering with fentanyl vials
2025-05
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Michigan | Hospital emergency room in the Detroit area | Fentanyl (Schedule II) | not stated | Registered nurse (emergency room) | not stated | none documented | source |
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Nurse Anesthetist Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl from ~50 Patients
2025-04-02
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Iowa Dubuque, Iowa |
Nurse anesthetist, hospital in Dubuque, IA (earlier diversion at a Platteville, WI hospital) | Fentanyl — diverted from nearly 50 patients Oct 2022-Jan 2023 | Diverted fentanyl for personal use, illegally accessed patient records and made false statements in them to make it appear fentanyl had been given to patients when it had not | not stated | Pleaded guilty Nov 13, 2024; sentenced Apr 2, 2025 to 3 months prison, 6 months home confinement, $5,000 fine, 3 yrs supervised release | $5,000 (criminal fine) | source |
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Hospital pharmacist diverted ketamine and falsified destruction records at Mercy Hospital Anderson Pharmacy
2025-04
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Ohio Cincinnati, OH |
Mercy Hospital Anderson Pharmacy | ketamine, a Schedule III controlled substance | The Board found the pharmacist stole ketamine from his employer pharmacy over about six months, sold two bottles for $100 each, provided ketamine to a drug dealer, and falsified drug destruction records by showing a vial to a witness, having the required form signed, then leaving without destroying the drugs. | not stated | Permanently revoked the pharmacist license; removed the summary suspension order. | none documented | source |
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Cardiac Catheterization Lab Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl at Miami Hospital
2025-03-18
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Florida Miami, Florida |
Registered nurse, cardiac catheterization lab, Miami hospital (July 10-Aug. 18, 2023) | Fentanyl and midazolam | Extracted painkillers from vials for personal use and replaced with saline; refilled discarded biohazard-bin vials with saline to substitute for stolen ones | not stated | Pleaded guilty Dec. 13, 2024 to tampering with consumer products; sentenced March 18, 2025 to more than two years in federal prison | none documented | source |
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ICU Nurse Arrested for Stealing 17 Fentanyl IV Bags at Brandon Hospital
2025-02-24
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Florida Brandon, Florida |
ICU, hospital in Lithia/Brandon area (Hillsborough County, FL) | Injectable fentanyl — six tampering incidents, Oct-Dec 2023 | Removed fentanyl from a secure drawer, tampered with it, swapped tampered containers back into circulation, falsified hospital records to hide the removal | not stated | Pleaded guilty to 6 counts tampering with a consumer product + 6 counts acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation; sentencing not yet set | none documented | source |
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Osage Beach Nurse Anesthetist Diverted Fentanyl from Hospital Operating Rooms
2024-12-16
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Missouri Osage Beach, Missouri |
Lake Regional Hospital operating rooms, Osage Beach, Missouri | Fentanyl and hydromorphone | Scanned vials to generate labels affixed to saline-filled syringes, pulled extra vials during procedures, and falsified patient charts | not stated | Pleaded guilty Dec. 16, 2024, to obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation; faces up to 4 years in prison | none documented | source |
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Travel Nurse Diverted Hydromorphone Using Patients' Health Information
2024-12-11
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West Virginia Beckley, West Virginia |
Raleigh General Hospital, Beckley, West Virginia | Hydromorphone | Used personal biometrics to access dispensing cabinets, siphoned and diluted vial contents, resealed vials, then canceled the transaction | not stated | Pleaded guilty Dec. 11, 2024, to fraud and wrongful disclosure of health information; sentencing set for April 2025. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a third charge of attempting to tamper with a consumer product; maximum penalty was 14 years in prison. | none documented | source |
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Yale New Haven Hospital Nurse Tampered with Lorazepam Vials
2024-12-11
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Connecticut New Haven, Connecticut |
Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut | Lorazepam | Removed a portion of drug solution from vials in secure storage, replaced it with an inert solution, and returned vials to circulation | not stated | Pleaded guilty Dec. 11, 2024, to tampering with a consumer product and acquiring a controlled substance by fraud; nursing license suspended | none documented | source |
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Mid-Valley Hospital Pays $15,000 Penalty Over Nurse's Hydromorphone Theft
2024-11-15
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Washington Omak, Washington |
Mid-Valley Hospital and Clinic, Omak, Washington | Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) | Kept leftover doses instead of wasting them and used dispensing-system overrides to withdraw extra doses while override reports went unreviewed | not stated | Hospital paid $15,000 CSA civil penalty Nov. 2024; nurse entered separate state and federal diversion agreements | $15,000 (civil penalty) | source |
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Concord Hospital Nurse Diverted Fentanyl from ICU Patient's IV Line
2024-10-07
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New Hampshire Concord, New Hampshire |
Concord Hospital intensive care unit, Concord, New Hampshire | Fentanyl | Removed fentanyl from an IV bag of a patient not assigned to her care and replaced it with saline | not stated | Pleaded guilty Oct. 7, 2024, to tampering with consumer products; sentencing set for January 2025 | none documented | source |
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VA Nurse Diverted Narcotics from Dying Veterans at West Haven VA
2024-09-12
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Connecticut West Haven, Connecticut |
RN, West Haven VA Medical Center ICU (West Haven, CT) | Fentanyl, hydromorphone, oxycodone | Ingested "waste" portions of patients' narcotics, including repeatedly dosing a braindead patient with fentanyl to divert the excess; falsified VA records to show narcotics as properly administered or disposed of | not stated | Pleaded guilty Jun 18, 2024 to obtaining controlled substances by fraud/subterfuge; sentenced to 2 years probation, first 6 months in home confinement | none documented | source |
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Former nurse accused of replacing fentanyl with tap water in IV drips at Oregon hospital
2024-09
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Oregon Medford, OR |
Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center | fentanyl | accused of replacing prescribed fentanyl with nonsterile tap water in intravenous drips; police investigation into theft and misuse of controlled substances that resulted in patient infections; hospital officials believed an employee had been diverting fentanyl | not stated | civil wrongful death and medical malpractice lawsuit filed against the hospital; the former nurse was arrested in June and charged with 44 counts of second-degree assault and has pleaded not guilty | none documented | source |
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Hospital certified nursing assistant and registered medical assistant charged with diverting oxycodone from a patient
2024-08
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Washington Spokane County, Washington |
a hospital | oxycodone | Alleged to have falsely identified herself as a patient's sister and diverted oxycodone from that patient; also alleged to have provided the patient Adderall and Remeron without a prescription and tested positive for alprazolam. | not stated | Charged with unprofessional conduct; case pending. | none documented | source |
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Hospital Pharmacy Manager Stole 35,000+ Opioid Vials from Secure Vault
2024-07-28
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Indiana Muncie, Indiana |
Pharmacy manager, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital (Muncie, IN) | Hydromorphone (~317,000 mg) + methadone (~41,390 mg) + morphine (290 mg) — 35,000+ vials | Diverted an average of ~500 vials/month from the secure vault over ~5 years; hospital audit and search warrant found drugs at his home. Diversion was allegedly disguised using normally-unused transaction types recorded as legitimate transfers to the hospital's outpatient clinics. | not stated | Arrested Jul 2024; felony charges filed Aug 2025 — possession, theft, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud/deceit, unlawful possession of a syringe, forgery; case pending | $44,000 (civil penalty) | source |
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Oklahoma City Anesthesiologist Convicted of Diverting Hospital Opioids
2024-07-11
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Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Oklahoma City-area hospital operating rooms | Fentanyl, ketamine, hydromorphone, and midazolam | Claimed controlled substances were needed for surgeries he did not perform, then falsely reported disposing of the drugs while keeping them | not stated | Convicted by federal jury July 11, 2024, on 18 counts of obtaining a controlled substance by deceit | none documented | source |
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Manchester hospital agreed to pay $300,000 to resolve controlled-substance recordkeeping allegations after fentanyl diversion
2024-07-08
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New Hampshire | Catholic Medical Center, Manchester | Fentanyl and six other controlled substances with inventory discrepancies | not stated | Hospital (registrant responsible for controlled-substance records) | not stated | none documented | source |
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Catholic Medical Center Pays $300,000 Over CRNA's Fentanyl Diversion
2024-07-03
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New Hampshire Manchester, New Hampshire |
Catholic Medical Center operating rooms, Manchester, New Hampshire | Fentanyl | CRNA removed fentanyl from patient syringes, replaced it with saline and hydromorphone, and falsified wasting records; hospital's inventory audits failed to catch the shortfall | not stated | Hospital paid $300,000 CSA civil settlement July 2024; nurse pleaded guilty June 12, 2024, to tampering with consumer products | $300,000 (civil settlement) | source |
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Hospital pharmacy manager diverted hydromorphone, methadone and morphine from a CII safe using unused transaction types
2024-07
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Indiana Muncie, IN |
Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital, Inc. | hydromorphone, methadone, morphine sulfate | Between approximately November 2020 and July 2024, a pharmacist serving as the hospital's pharmacy manager used normally-unused transaction types in the automated inventory management system to remove controlled substances from the CII safe and take personal possession of them, using his duty of stocking controlled substances at affiliated outpatient pain and orthopedic centers as cover. The hospital's controlled-substance tracking policies did not include regular auditing or comparison of patient utilization at those centers, CII Safe Review Sale reports, or All CII Safe Events reports, which allowed the discrepancies to go undetected. | not stated | The hospital's pharmacy license and controlled substances registration were placed on indefinite probation for not less than three years, with quarterly outside audits for the first two years, two unannounced compliance inspections, required diversion-prevention training for pharmacy leadership, and a $44,000 fine; the hospital reported the loss to the DEA and Board in July 2024 and filed an amended DEA Form 106 in November 2024, and in August 2025 the county prosecutor's office filed charges against the pharmacist. | none documented | source |
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ICU nurse accused of diverting patients' liquid fentanyl and replacing it with tap water at a Medford, Oregon hospital
2024-06
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Oregon Medford, OR |
Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center | liquid fentanyl | Allegedly diverted patients' liquid fentanyl for personal use and replaced it with nonsterile tap water, which was linked to central line infections; police said the charges reflect the number of patients affected. | not stated | Arrested and charged with 44 counts of second-degree assault; the nurse had voluntarily agreed in November 2023 to a nursing license suspension pending completion of an investigation and had left the hospital in July 2023. Indicted by a Jackson County grand jury on the 44 second-degree assault counts; trial was set for September 2026. A related civil lawsuit seeking $11 million in damages alleges the tap-water substitution caused at least two patient deaths. | none documented | source |
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New Hampshire hospital nurse anesthetist pleaded guilty after substituting saline for operating-room fentanyl
2024-06
|
New Hampshire | Hospital operating room, Catholic Medical Center, Manchester | Liquid fentanyl left over from medical procedures | not stated | Nurse anesthetist | not stated | none documented | source |
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Dodge County Hospital Nurse Diverted Oxycodone Using Automated Dispensing Cabinet Swap
2024-05-24
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Minnesota Dodge County, Minnesota |
Post-anesthesia care unit, hospital in Dodge County, Minnesota | Oxycodone (diverted alongside oxybutynin used as cover) | Withdrew two-pill oxycodone orders from an automated dispensing cabinet but gave patients only one, falsifying pain reports; also opened an oxybutynin drawer to mask additional oxycodone withdrawals | not stated | Pleaded guilty May 2024 to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud; sentencing pending | none documented | source |
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Registered nurse sentenced to probation for stealing OxyContin from a hospital narcotics cabinet and replacing it with other medications
2024-05
|
South Dakota Canton, SD |
Sanford Canton-Inwood Medical Center | OxyContin | Removed OxyContin from blister packs in a narcotics cabinet and replaced it with melatonin and acetaminophen, resealed the packs, and used the stolen OxyContin for personal use; pleaded guilty to obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, and subterfuge. | not stated | Pleaded guilty on March 6, 2024; sentenced on May 24, 2024, to two years probation and a $100 special assessment; indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2023. Investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations and the DEA. | none documented | source |
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Hospital Pharmacy Technician Pleaded Guilty to Tampering with Hydromorphone
2024-04-30
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Connecticut Norwich, Connecticut |
Pharmacy technician, Backus Hospital (Norwich, CT) | Hydromorphone solution — 3 bags | Used employee ID badge to access secure storage on Jan 11, 2024, removed a portion of hydromorphone from each bag, replaced it with saline, returned bags to storage for patient use | not stated | Waived indictment; pleaded guilty Apr 30, 2024 to tampering with a consumer product — sentencing not yet scheduled | none documented | source |
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ICU nurse sentenced for tampering with fentanyl and hydromorphone at Ardmore hospital
2024-04
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Oklahoma Ardmore, OK |
Mercy Hospital Intensive Care Unit, Ardmore, Oklahoma | fentanyl and hydromorphone | stole fentanyl and hydromorphone intended for intensive care patients; removed the pain medication from vials, refilled the empty vials with tap water, and returned the tampered vials to the controlled storage locker; admitted the conduct | not stated | sentenced to 12 months in prison for one count of Tampering with Consumer Products; pleaded guilty on August 31, 2023 | none documented | source |
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Labor & Delivery Nurse Stole Pain Meds from 50+ New Mothers
2024-03-27
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Iowa Waterloo, Iowa |
Labor & delivery nurse, Waterloo, Iowa hospital | Controlled substances incl. fentanyl — vial tampered with saline | Diverted medication meant for new mothers to herself; falsely charted doses as administered | not stated | Pleaded guilty Oct 12, 2023; sentenced Mar 27, 2024 to 1 yr + 1 day + 3 yrs supervised release | none documented | source |
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Former Scripps Encinitas anesthesiologist placed on seven-year probation for taking and self-administering propofol and opioids
2024-03
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California | Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas | Propofol, fentanyl, hydromorphone, midazolam | not stated | Anesthesiologist (labor and delivery unit) | not stated | none documented | source |
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Hospital nurse anesthetist accused of diverting fentanyl and propofol intended for surgical patients
2024-01
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New Mexico Las Vegas, NM |
a regional hospital | fentanyl and propofol | Accused of diverting fentanyl and propofol intended for patients' surgical pain control for his own use, and of going to extreme lengths to avoid drug testing after colleagues raised concerns. | not stated | Board of Nursing settlement reported to include two years of probation, quarterly supervisor reports, and random drug testing; an earlier proposed settlement had included 28 days of rehab, five years of probation, and more frequent drug testing. | none documented | source |
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Hospital registered nurse's license revoked after fentanyl tampering and diversion
2023-12
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Wisconsin Janesville, WI |
a hospital in Janesville, Wisconsin | fentanyl | tampered with fentanyl vials in hospital automated dispensing cabinets, had excessive fentanyl overrides, unaccounted fentanyl, and recorded wasting large amounts of fentanyl; refused a reasonable suspicion drug screen and resigned | not stated | nursing license revoked; pleaded guilty in federal court to tampering with a consumer product involving injectable fentanyl; may not petition for reinstatement earlier than one year; ordered to pay costs | none documented | source |
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Norfolk Children's Hospital Pays Civil Penalty for Unregistered Warehouse Fentanyl Gap
2023-11-16
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Virginia Norfolk, Virginia |
Hospital pharmacy and receiving warehouse | Fentanyl (200 one-mL syringes) and other compounded controlled substances | Compounded controlled-substance shipments routed through an unregistered warehouse with no accounting for a fentanyl delivery | not stated | Civil settlement — $68,400 penalty plus DEA corrective-action agreement (Nov. 2023) | $68,400 (civil penalty) | source |
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Boston-Area ER Nurse Sentenced for 412 Unauthorized Opioid Withdrawals
2023-11-15
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Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts |
Hospital emergency department | Morphine, fentanyl, hydromorphone | 412 unauthorized cabinet withdrawals billed to 299 already-discharged patients over ~5 months. The 412 unauthorized withdrawals were tied to 299 discharged patients. | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 3 months' imprisonment and 1 year supervised release (Nov. 2023) | 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 |
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Kansas hospital nurse sentenced for tampering with fentanyl and hydromorphone vials
2023-03-13
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Kansas | Hospital in Overland Park, Kansas | Fentanyl and hydromorphone | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Virginia Nurse License Suspended Over Roanoke-Area Hospital Opioid Diversion
2023-03
|
Virginia Roanoke and Blacksburg, Virginia |
Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Roanoke, VA; LewisGale Hospital, Blacksburg, VA | Opioids | Took pain medication from patients reporting severe pain, falsely documented it had been administered, and used the diverted opioids herself while on duty; did not disclose a prior termination from a senior living facility to either hospital | not stated | Virginia Board of Nursing suspended the nursing license, reported March 2023 | none documented | source |
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Massachusetts Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl at Hospital and Surgery Center
2023-01-10
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Massachusetts Massachusetts |
Hospital post-surgery recovery unit and outpatient vascular surgery center | Fentanyl | Removed fentanyl from surgical-patient vials and replaced it with saline, leaving vials at 1.3-7% of declared concentration | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 5 years' probation (1 year home detention) and a $20,000 fine (Jan. 2023) | $20,000 (criminal fine) | source |
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Central Pennsylvania hospital nurse charged with diverting morphine from an emergency department
2022-12-13
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Pennsylvania | Emergency department, Mount Nittany Medical Center, State College | Morphine sulfate | not stated | Registered nurse, since separated from the hospital | not stated | none documented | source |
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Kentucky hospital agrees to $4.4 million civil penalty over recordkeeping that allowed pharmacy technician to divert 60,000 opioid doses
2022-12-08
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Kentucky | Pikeville Medical Center narcotics vault and automated dispensing cabinets | Oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone (more than 60,000 doses) | not stated | Hospital pharmacy technician | not stated | none documented | source |
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Kentucky hospital pharmacy technician diverted over 60,000 opioid doses; hospital paid civil penalty
2022-12
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Kentucky | Hospital system narcotics vault and automated dispensing cabinets, Pikeville, Kentucky | Oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone (more than 60,000 doses) | not stated | Hospital pharmacy technician | not stated | none documented | source |
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South Dakota hospital ambulance fentanyl vials found filled with saline; no suspect identified
2022-11
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South Dakota | hospital-based ambulance service, Brookings, South Dakota | fentanyl (two vials found filled with normal saline) | not stated | unidentified; no suspect identified as of the inspection | not stated | none documented | source |
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Colorado Nurse Sentenced Over ICU Fentanyl Drip Diversion
2022-11
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Colorado Denver, Colorado |
Sick and Intensive Care Unit, a Denver hospital | Fentanyl | On March 3, 2021, stole most of an IV fentanyl bag from a comatose, intubated patient by lowering the pump's drip rate and failing to accurately document the flow rate, then drained a second fentanyl bag into a cup and refilled the bag with saline before hospital staff interrupted him; admitted diverting fentanyl by labeling it 'waste' since late 2020 | not stated | Sentenced to five years of probation for obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and deception | none documented | source |
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St. Louis County Hospital Nurse Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Fentanyl
2022-10-27
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Missouri St. Louis County, Missouri |
Hospital (Mercy Hospital South, St. Louis County, Missouri) | Fentanyl | Fraudulently withdrew fentanyl doses from an automated dispensing machine for personal use | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentencing pending | none documented | source |
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DC nurse diverted fentanyl from two Washington hospitals
2022-10-27
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District of Columbia Washington, DC |
Registered nurse, Sibley Memorial Hospital and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC | Fentanyl | not stated | not stated | not stated | none documented | source |
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Traveling Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Opioids at Four Montana Facilities
2022-10-13
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Montana Anaconda, Montana |
Hospital and long-term care/rehabilitation facilities, Montana | Oxycodone, hydrocodone | Withdrew opioids from pharmacy stock without administering or documenting them to patients; altered and destroyed medication logs | not stated | Pleaded guilty to 3 counts of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances; sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison plus 1 year supervised release | none documented | source |
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Former Nurse Pleads Guilty to Diverting Opioids From Two Boston-Area Hospitals
2022-10-04
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Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts |
Two Boston-area hospitals | Fentanyl and hydromorphone | Stole an in-use patient infusion bag and syringes from a locked drug cabinet across two hospital jobs | not stated | Pleaded guilty to 4 counts; sentencing pending | none documented | source |
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Missouri nurse diverted fentanyl at two hospitals after being fired for the first diversion
2022-10
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Missouri | A St. Louis-area hospital, then a hospital intensive care unit | Fentanyl | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Registered nurse diverted oxycodone, hydrocodone/acetaminophen, and hydromorphone from patients at a Madison medical center
2022-10
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Wisconsin Madison, WI |
a medical center in Madison, Wisconsin | oxycodone, hydrocodone/acetaminophen, morphine, hydromorphone, and tramadol | Admitted diverting pain medications from patients for personal use over about 1.5 years, totaling approximately 100 patients and 200 dosages; admitted diverting specific doses of oxycodone, hydrocodone/acetaminophen, and liquid hydromorphone on June 12 and 13, 2021; charted that a patient had already received pain medication when the patient asked for it; and pled guilty to acquiring hydrocodone/acetaminophen, oxycodone, and hydromorphone by misrepresentation/fraud/deception by entering patient information into the automated dispensing cabinet and removing controlled substances for personal use. | not stated | Voluntary surrender of nursing license accepted; ordered to pay $904 in costs; cannot petition for reinstatement for at least one year; federal sentence of three years probation and a $3,500 fine. | none documented | source |
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Hilo Hospital Nurse Charged With Stealing Fentanyl
2022-09-23
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Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii |
Hilo Medical Center, Hawaii | Fentanyl | not stated | Former registered nurse | Charged Sept. 23, 2022; pleaded not guilty; released on $55,000 bail. Appeared in Hilo's 3rd Circuit Court; a bench warrant was issued with bail set at $55,000, later posted as cash bail; next appearance was scheduled for Dec. 5, 2022. | none documented | source |
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Butte Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Hydromorphone Cartridges
2022-09-08
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Montana Butte, Montana |
Hospital, post-operative floor, Butte, Montana | Hydromorphone | Recorded false 'waste' entries and cancelled medication orders after administering doses to herself instead of patients | not stated | Pleaded guilty to unlawfully obtaining a controlled substance; sentenced to 5 years probation | none documented | source |
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Detroit Hospital Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Critical Care Patients' Hydromorphone
2022-08-30
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Michigan Detroit, Michigan |
Hospital critical care unit (Detroit, Michigan) | Hydromorphone | Extracted the drug from vials and syringes pulled from automated dispensing machines and refilled them with saline before restocking | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentencing scheduled | none documented | source |
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Missouri Nurse License Revoked Over Hospital Opioid Diversion and Unauthorized Badge Access
2022-07-05
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Missouri St. Louis, Missouri |
Mercy Hospital East, St. Louis, Missouri | Morphine and hydromorphone | Extracted drug residue from vials after administering patient doses and refilled the vials with an identical amount of saline solution to conceal the theft; also retrieved used vials from medical waste containers; after suspension, accessed the hospital 127 times over 18 days using her employee badge, and a drug test returned positive for morphine | not stated | Missouri Board of Nursing revoked the license on July 5, 2022; a circuit court reversed the board's order on January 29, 2023, and the board issued a probated license per the court's order on April 3, 2023 | none documented | source |
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North Carolina Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Hydromorphone Vials
2022-06-01
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North Carolina Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
Hospital pre/post-procedure unit, Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Injectable hydromorphone | Removed hydromorphone from sealed vials in an automated medication dispensing/monitoring system, injected it herself, refilled vials with saline, and reglued tamper seals before returning them to patient-use stock | not stated | Convicted of tampering with a consumer product; sentenced to 54 months in prison plus 3 years supervised release. She was already serving a three-year prison sentence for a related consumer-product-tampering conviction at a hospital in Danville, Virginia. | $3,000 (criminal fine) | source |
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Missoula Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Hydromorphone
2022-04-26
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Montana Missoula, Montana |
Hospital (Community Medical Center, Missoula, Montana) | Fentanyl and hydromorphone | Diverted vials and syringes during patient care and had a coworker unknowingly witness the disposal of tampered medication | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 2 years probation and a $2,000 fine | $2,000 (criminal fine) | source |
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Jacksonville Hospital ICU Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Patients' Fentanyl
2022-04-13
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Florida Jacksonville, Florida |
Hospital neurological ICU (Jacksonville, Florida) | Injectable fentanyl | Removed fentanyl from syringes, replaced it with saline, and reglued tamper-evident caps to conceal the substitution | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentencing pending | none documented | source |
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Prisma Health Midlands Pays $1 Million in Record South Carolina CSA Settlement
2022-04-05
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South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina |
Prisma Health Midlands hospital system (Columbia, SC) | Controlled substances — recordkeeping/dispensing violations | Failed to notify DEA within one business day of thefts/significant losses over a 3-year period; pharmacy filled prescriptions with no legitimate medical purpose for two patients later convicted of drug distribution | not stated | Civil settlement (memorandum of agreement), $1 million — announced Apr 5, 2022; largest CSA settlement in SC history | $1,000,000 (civil settlement) | source |
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Hilo Medical Center nurse charged with fentanyl theft and drug possession
2022-04
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Hawaii Hilo, HI |
Hilo Medical Center | fentanyl | Charged with prescription drug theft and felony drug possession in relation to two April 2022 incidents at the hospital; the charges allege two counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, embezzlement or theft, third-degree promoting a dangerous drug (possessed fentanyl, in any amount), and second-degree promoting a dangerous drug (possessed one-fourth ounce or more of fentanyl). | not stated | Charged with four felony offenses; made an initial appearance in Hilo Circuit Court, where a request for supervised release or bail reduction was denied and bail was maintained at $55,000; later posted $55,000 cash bail and was released from custody. Next court appearance set for December 5, 2022. | none documented | source |
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DC emergency nurse's diversion surfaced by automated dispensing cabinet audit
2022-01-14
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District of Columbia Washington, DC |
Emergency room registered nurse, Providence Hospital and United Medical Center, Washington, DC | Narcotics removed from hospital stock; admitted addiction to oxycodone and tramadol | not stated | not stated | not stated | none documented | source |
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South Jersey hospital system settles DEA allegations after 400 oxycodone tablets reported lost or stolen
2021-12
|
New Jersey | Hospital inpatient pharmacy, Voorhees | Oxycodone 30 mg (400 tablets) | not stated | Hospital system (institutional registrant) | not stated | none documented | source |
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Contract nurse at Winston-Salem hospital diverted hydromorphone and replaced it with saline
2021-12
|
North Carolina Winston-Salem, NC |
Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center | injectable hydromorphone | Removed vials of injectable hydromorphone from an automated dispensing cabinet machine, injected the drug into herself, replaced the drug with saline solution, used glue to replace the lids, and returned the contaminated vials to locked drawers. | not stated | Pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product; sentenced to four years and six months in federal prison, a $3,000 fine, and three years of supervised release; nursing license suspended. | none documented | source |
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Colorado Nurse Sentenced Over Fake Research-Study Hydromorphone Diversion
2021-12
|
Colorado Colorado |
A Colorado hospital | Hydromorphone | Falsely told patients not assigned to her care that she was conducting a PCA-pump study, used a key to open the secured syringe, removed a portion of hydromorphone from it, and returned the syringe to the patient's PCA; obtained the drug from three patients on four occasions and fabricated a false email to law enforcement to support her cover story | not stated | Sentenced to 12 months in federal prison plus one year of supervised release for obtaining controlled substances by fraud and deception | none documented | source |
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DC nurse diverted oxycodone from a rehabilitation hospital
2021-11-23
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District of Columbia Washington, DC |
Registered nurse, MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, Washington, DC | Oxycodone IR | not stated | not stated | not stated | none documented | source |
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VA Medical Center Pharmacy Chief Diverted Painkillers from Veterans' Prescriptions
2021-11-12
|
Pennsylvania Erie, Pennsylvania |
VA Medical Center pharmacy, Erie, Pennsylvania | Hydrocodone and oxycodone | As Pharmacy Chief, removed dosage units from patient pill bottles awaiting delivery to VA patients | not stated | Pleaded guilty to a federal drug-law violation; sentencing pending | none documented | source |
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Ann Arbor VA Nurse Anesthetist Stole 2,000+ Vials of Opioids
2021-11-09
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Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan |
Surgical unit, Ann Arbor VA Hospital (Ann Arbor, MI) | Fentanyl, hydromorphone, morphine, midazolam — 2,000+ vials | Used patient data and falsified records to withdraw drugs from dispensing machines | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced Nov 9, 2021 to 3 years' probation | none documented | source |
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Colorado Nurse Stole Fentanyl in Hospital Catheterization Lab
2021-09-18
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Colorado Colorado |
Catheterization lab, contract hospital placement (Colorado) | Fentanyl, midazolam, propofol | Over-obtained doses beyond procedure needs; falsified patient charts to hide the diversion | not stated | Sentenced Sep 18, 2021 to 3 months in prison | none documented | source |
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DC nurse license stays suspended after fentanyl and oxycodone relapse
2021-09-01
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District of Columbia Washington, DC |
Registered nurse, George Washington University Hospital, Washington, DC | Fentanyl and oxycodone | not stated | not stated | not stated | none documented | source |
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Southeast Missouri medical center paid $1.6 million to resolve invalid opioid prescribing claims
2021-09-01
|
Missouri | Medical center in southeast Missouri; physician practiced in Farmington, Missouri | Morphine, hydromorphone and oxycodone, prescribed alongside muscle relaxers and benzodiazepines | not stated | Employed physician (prescriber) at a hospital-affiliated practice | not stated | none documented | source |
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Florida emergency room nurse accused of diverting hydromorphone after syringes found in work bag; probable cause panel dismissed case
2021-09
|
Florida | Hospital emergency room in Florida | Hydromorphone (two mostly empty pre-drawn 1 mg syringes) | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
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Sentara Norfolk Pharmacy Technician Stole 50,000+ Controlled Substance Units
2021-08-13
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Virginia Norfolk, Virginia |
Hospital pharmacy (Sentara Norfolk General Hospital), Virginia | Prescription opioids and other controlled substances (50,000+ dosage units) | Exploited his role restocking the automated medication dispensing/monitoring system, falsifying records and intercepting audit reports to hide the theft | not stated | Pleaded guilty to acquiring controlled substances by fraud; faced up to 4 years in prison | none documented | source |
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South Dakota hospital nurse convicted of tampering with fentanyl vials and replacing contents with saline
2021-08
|
South Dakota Chamberlain, SD |
a hospital in Chamberlain, South Dakota | fentanyl citrate for injection | removed fentanyl citrate for injection from a vial and replaced the majority of it with saline solution, then returned the tampered vial to storage | not stated | convicted of Obtaining a Controlled Substance by Misrepresentation, Fraud, Forgery, Deception, and Subterfuge; sentenced to two years of probation and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund | none documented | source |
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Intermountain Healthcare Nurse Tampered with Hydromorphone Syringes
2021-07-23
|
Utah Salt Lake City, Utah |
Hospital surgical/trauma ward (Intermountain Healthcare), Utah | Hydromorphone | Diverted hydromorphone from pre-loaded syringes, replaced it with saline, and returned the syringes for use on other patients | not stated | Convicted by federal jury on 3 counts; sentencing pending | none documented | source |
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Massachusetts ER Nurse Tampered with Hydromorphone and Meperidine
2021-06-29
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Massachusetts West Boylston, Massachusetts |
Hospital emergency department, Massachusetts | Hydromorphone and meperidine | Falsified automated dispensing machine transactions to remove carpujects, punctured them to steal the drugs, and refilled some with saline before returning them to circulation | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison plus 3 years supervised release | none documented | source |
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Nurse Arrested for Stealing 1,400+ Vials of Fentanyl from Long Island Hospital
2021-05-18
|
New York Manhasset, New York |
Nurse, cardiac unit, North Shore University Hospital (Manhasset, NY) | Fentanyl — 1,467 vials + midazolam — 223 vials | Used her fingerprint and ID number to access a medication dispensing machine 50+ times over ~2.5 months, noting a patient's name against each withdrawal though none of the drugs were administered to patients | not stated | Arrested and arraigned May 18, 2021 on state charges incl. 3rd-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, grand larceny, and falsifying business records | none documented | source |
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Fontana pharmacy technician's registration revoked over diversion of 117 tramadol tablets
2021-04-26
|
California | High-volume outpatient pharmacy of a large health system in Fontana | Tramadol 50 mg (Schedule IV) | not stated | Pharmacy technician | not stated | none documented | source |
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VA Hospice Nurse Sentenced for Diluting Dying Veterans' Morphine
2021-02-24
|
Massachusetts Bedford, Massachusetts |
Hospice unit, VA Medical Center (Bedford, MA) | Liquid morphine | Diluted patients' morphine doses with tap water, drank the diverted portion | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced Feb 24, 2021 to 40 months | none documented | source |
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Warren County pharmacy: former pharmacist-in-charge and hospital pharmacy technician charged in alleged oxycodone diversion scheme
2021-02
|
New Jersey | Independent retail pharmacy in Allamuchy Township, Warren County; prescription blanks allegedly taken from two hospitals in Paterson and Teaneck | Oxycodone 30 mg tablets and promethazine | not stated | Former registered pharmacist-in-charge of a retail pharmacy and a hospital pharmacy technician, plus two non-licensed co-defendants | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Rural Pennsylvania hospital pharmacy technician charged after 2,100 oxycodone tablets went missing
2021-01
|
Pennsylvania | Hospital pharmacy, Penn Highlands DuBois | Oxycodone; a total of 2,100 tablets reported missing | not stated | Pharmacy technician | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Pharmacy technician diverted OxyContin from AccuDose machines at Baptist Medical Center
2020-07
|
Mississippi | Baptist Medical Center | OxyContin | admitted to taking OxyContin from the AccuDose machines at Baptist Medical Center | not stated | The board accepted the voluntary surrender of the pharmacy technician registration, revoked it, and imposed $250 in investigation costs. | none documented | source |
|
Pharmacy technician diverted Norco, Percocet, and MS Contin from Magee General Hospital pharmacy
2020-07
|
Mississippi | Magee General Hospital pharmacy | Norco, Percocet and MS Contin | admitted to taking Norco, Percocet and MS Contin from the pharmacy at Magee General Hospital where she worked | not stated | The board accepted the voluntary surrender of the pharmacy technician registration, revoked it, and imposed $350 in investigation costs. | none documented | source |
|
Eastern Iowa ICU Nurse Sentenced for Stealing Patient's Fentanyl and Morphine
2020-06-26
|
Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
ICU, Cedar Rapids, Iowa hospital | Fentanyl and morphine | Over-obtained doses from pharmacy and withdrew drug directly from a patient's IV line | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced Jun 26, 2020 to federal prison | $5,500 (criminal fine) | source |
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ICU Nurse Steals Fentanyl IV Bags at Research Medical Center
2020-06-18
|
Missouri Kansas City, Missouri |
ICU nurse, HCA Research Medical Center (Kansas City, MO) | Compounded fentanyl IV bag | Ordered fentanyl IV bag under a false name/pretense, extracted the drug, refilled bag with an unknown liquid | not stated | Pleaded guilty to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud | none documented | source |
|
South Dakota ICU nurse's lawsuit over termination for fentanyl discrepancies rejected on appeal
2020-06-17
|
South Dakota | Hospital in Minnehaha County, South Dakota | Fentanyl; also unaccounted lorazepam and hydromorphone | not stated | Registered nurse, intensive care unit | not stated | none documented | source |
|
South Dakota ICU nurse fired after fentanyl accountability review; wrongful-discharge suit fails on appeal
2020-06-17
|
South Dakota | hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota | fentanyl, lorazepam (Ativan) and hydromorphone unaccounted for | not stated | registered nurse, intensive care unit | not stated | none documented | source |
|
ICU nurse at a Sioux Falls hospital accused of diverting fentanyl, lorazepam and hydromorphone after medication records review
2020-06
|
South Dakota Sioux Falls, SD |
Avera McKennan Hospital | fentanyl, lorazepam (Ativan), hydromorphone | Alleged diversion: a medication log review showed an atypically high fentanyl removal rate; a review of 16 charts found 12 areas of concern, including unaccounted amounts of 275 micrograms of fentanyl and 3 milligrams each of lorazepam and hydromorphone, and 66 of 669 medications not scanned as administered or wasted. | not stated | Terminated in 2016; sued for wrongful discharge, breach of contract and defamation; circuit court granted the hospital summary judgment, upheld by the South Dakota Supreme Court; the Board of Nursing investigated and ordered counseling, while other reported agencies took no action. | none documented | source |
|
CRNA Tampered with Fentanyl Vials at Charles City Hospital
2020-05-29
|
Iowa Charles City, Iowa |
CRNA, Charles City hospital surgery & birthing centers (Charles City, IA) | Fentanyl and sufentanil | Perforated tamper-proof vial seals, replaced drug with saline, glued vials shut, returned to secure dispensaries | not stated | Pleaded guilty Aug 1, 2019; sentenced to 34 months + $15,000 fine + $31,998.34 restitution | $31,998 (restitution) | source |
|
VA Urgent Care Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Hydromorphone
2020-05-28
|
Louisiana Pineville, Louisiana |
VA Medical Center Urgent Care Clinic (Pineville, LA) | Hydromorphone | Logged into narcotics cabinet under patients' names without orders; refilled vials with saline | not stated | Pleaded guilty May 28, 2020 | none documented | source |
|
Buffalo-Area Physician Diverted Controlled Substances Through Fraudulent Prescriptions to Associates
2020-03-05
|
New York Buffalo, New York |
Physician contracted to area hospitals; fraudulent prescriptions issued outside legitimate patient care | Oxycodone, hydrocodone, and amphetamine | Issued fraudulent prescriptions in his own name and in the names of non-patients (coworkers, associates) in exchange for cocaine, cash, and a share of the pills | not stated | Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; sentencing scheduled | none documented | source |
|
Jacksonville Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Injectable Painkillers
2019-12-06
|
Florida Jacksonville, Florida |
Jacksonville-area hospitals (Jacksonville, FL) | Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) injectable syringes | Extracted drug from syringes, refilled with saline, returned to inventory | not stated | Pleaded guilty Dec 6, 2019; faced up to 10 years | none documented | source |
|
ICU Nurse Sentenced for Stealing Fentanyl at Parker Adventist Hospital
2019-11-13
|
Colorado Parker, Colorado |
ICU, Parker Adventist Hospital (Parker, CO) | Fentanyl — dispensing-cabinet cassettes | Used the automated dispensing cabinet to access fentanyl, withdrew it with a syringe and saline flushes, sometimes reinjected saline into the cassette to conceal the theft; flagged by an April 2018 audit for high fentanyl use/waste | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced Nov 13, 2019 to 44 months in federal prison | none documented | source |
|
Magoffin County Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Hospital Medication
2019-10-30
|
Kentucky Salyersville, Kentucky |
Paul B. Hall Regional Medical Center (Salyersville/Magoffin County, KY) | Butorphanol tartrate (Stadol) | Removed vials from drug supply area, refilled with saline | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced Oct 30, 2019 to 24 months | none documented | source |
|
St. Francis Hospital Nurse Turned Off Infusion Pumps to Divert Narcotics
2019-08-14
|
Connecticut Hartford, CT |
Hospital (St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center, Hartford, Connecticut) | Hydromorphone, fentanyl, and morphine | Shut off patients' narcotic infusion pumps for hours at a time and diverted the withheld doses; falsified controlled substance and medical records | not stated | Connecticut consent order, August 14, 2019: $2,000 civil penalty, one-year license suspension, five years' probation | $2,000 (civil penalty) | source |
|
Wausau Physician Pleads Guilty to Diverting Fentanyl Patches from Patients
2019-07-18
|
Wisconsin Wausau, Wisconsin |
Hospital-affiliated family practice clinic | Fentanyl patches | Physician prescribed fentanyl patches to patients without medical need and had them return the filled patches to him for personal use | not stated | Guilty plea; sentencing pending at time of report | none documented | source |
|
Hartford Hospital Nurse Disciplined for Diverting Opiates
2019-07-17
|
Connecticut Hartford, CT |
Hospital (Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut) | Opiates | Diverted opiates from the hospital for personal use over roughly four months | not stated | Connecticut consent order, July 17, 2019: four years' probation, one-year bar on controlled-substance access | none documented | source |
|
Hartford hospital nurse placed on four-year probation for diverting opiates
2019-07
|
Connecticut | Hartford Hospital | Opiates (unspecified), plus alcohol misuse | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Boise Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl Vials from an Automated Dispensing Cabinet
2019-04-16
|
Idaho Boise, ID |
Hospital, Boise, ID | Fentanyl (100 mcg/2 mL vials) | Accessed an automated dispensing cabinet on at least 28 occasions between Sept. 29 and Nov. 14, 2017, falsifying and manipulating system records to conceal the withdrawals | not stated | Pleaded guilty to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud; sentenced Apr 16, 2019, to three years of probation | none documented | source |
|
Rhode Island VA Nurse Sentenced Over Liquid Opioid Tampering
2019-04-05
|
Rhode Island Providence, Rhode Island |
Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI | Morphine and other liquid opioids | On several occasions in October and November 2017, accessed vials of liquid opioids designated for patient use, removed them from a locked storage cart, and stole the prescriptions for personal use, leaving behind vials filled with saline | not stated | Pleaded guilty December 7, 2018, to tampering with a consumer product and acquiring a controlled substance by deception; sentenced April 5, 2019, to 24 months in federal prison plus 2 years of supervised release | none documented | source |
|
Boise hospital nurse diverted fentanyl vials by falsifying dispensing-system records
2019-04
|
Idaho Boise, ID |
a hospital in Boise, Idaho | fentanyl, 100 mcg/2 mL vials | Employed as a registered nurse at a Boise hospital with access to a system that monitored the distribution and management of prescription medications, including controlled substances, the nurse accessed the machine and removed fentanyl 100 mcg/2 mL vials on at least 28 occasions by falsifying and manipulating information in the system; the case was charged as obtaining controlled substances by fraud. | not stated | Pleaded guilty on Oct. 25, 2018, and was sentenced to three years of probation, per the U.S. Attorney's office; investigated by a DEA-led Tactical Diversion Squad. | none documented | source |
|
Army hospital pharmacy technician admitted stealing and distributing hydrocodone and oxycodone
2019-02
|
Hawaii Oahu, Hawaii |
Tripler Army Medical Center | hydrocodone or oxycodone | charged with and later admitted stealing and distributing 8,505 pills containing five milligrams of either hydrocodone or oxycodone from the hospital's pharmacy vault | not stated | charged; later admitted; serving a one-year sentence in a federal correctional institution in California | none documented | source |
|
KU Hospital Pharmacy Tech Stole 483 Bags of Fentanyl
2018-12-10
|
Kansas Kansas City, Kansas |
Pharmacy technician, University of Kansas Hospital (Kansas City, KS) | Fentanyl — 483 IV bags | Used AcuDose cabinet-stocking and expired-medication disposal duties to divert bags; flagged by internal audit's high transaction count | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 3 years probation + $4,300+ restitution; pharmacy license revoked | $4,300 (restitution) | source |
|
Hospital pharmacy technician diverted hydrocodone and oxycodone from a pharmacy vault through fraudulent automated dispensing transactions
2018-10
|
Hawaii | Tripler Army Medical Center | hydrocodone and oxycodone (Schedule II controlled substances) | Stole 8,505 pills, each containing 5 milligrams of either hydrocodone or oxycodone, from the hospital's pharmacy vault between February 2017 and March 2018, using her authorized fingerprint and unique login to conduct 82 fraudulent transactions in the hospital's new automated medication distribution and tracking system, which she found did not require a valid prescription to dispense medication to patients being discharged; gave the pills to her boyfriend for his personal use and used some herself. | not stated | Sentenced to 12 months in jail plus six years of court supervision; pleaded guilty in June to one count each of possessing with intent to distribute hydrocodone and oxycodone; had repaid $1,033 to the hospital before sentencing. | none documented | source |
|
Arkansas nurse surrenders license after record reviews found controlled-substance diversion at two facilities
2018-09
|
Arkansas | Academic medical center hospital in Little Rock and a second facility | Controlled substances (not specified) | not stated | Nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
|
University of Michigan Health System Pays $4.3M in Record Drug Diversion Settlement
2018-08-30
|
Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan |
University of Michigan Health System, main hospital and 15 unregistered off-site clinics (Ann Arbor, MI) | Opioids including fentanyl, system-wide | Unregistered off-site narcotics distribution; recordkeeping failures; untimely theft/loss reporting to DEA | not stated | Civil settlement, $4.3 million — announced Aug 30, 2018 | $4,300,000 (civil settlement) | source |
|
Pharmacy Technician Diverts Fentanyl at Iowa Methodist Medical Center
2018-07-10
|
Iowa Des Moines, Iowa |
Pharmacy technician, Iowa Methodist Medical Center (Des Moines, IA) | Fentanyl vials | Extracted fentanyl with syringe, self-injected, refilled vials with a different fluid, returned to storage | not stated | Sentenced Jul 10, 2018 — 30 months + 3 yrs supervised release | none documented | source |
|
ED Nurse Transmits Hepatitis C to Patients at Good Samaritan Hospital
2018-05
|
Washington Puyallup, Washington |
ED nurse, Good Samaritan Hospital (Puyallup, WA) | Hydromorphone and fentanyl vials | Diverted injectable narcotics for personal use, reused contaminated needles on patients, exposing 12 to hepatitis C | not stated | Pleaded guilty Sept 5, 2023 to tampering with a consumer product; faced up to 10 years | $4,000,000 (civil settlement) | source |
|
Health system settles alleged opioid diversion case over tens of thousands of missing oxycodone 30 mg tablets
2018-05
|
Georgia Springfield, GA |
Effingham Health System | oxycodone 30 mg tablets | Alleged large-scale diversion of opioids; tens of thousands of oxycodone 30 mg tablets were reported missing over more than four years, and the health system allegedly failed to notify authorities of the suspected diversion within the time required by federal law. | not stated | Agreed to pay $4.1 million to settle the claims; the system said it has since overhauled pharmacy recordkeeping and reporting and implemented electronic inventory systems. At the time, the largest settlement of its kind for hospital drug diversion; the DEA investigation was launched in 2017. | none documented | source |
|
Georgia hospital settles allegations over unaccounted 30 mg oxycodone tablets believed diverted
2018-05
|
Georgia | a Georgia hospital | oxycodone (30 mg tablets) | allegedly failed to provide effective controls and procedures to guard against theft and loss of controlled substances, resulting in tens of thousands of 30 mg oxycodone tablets unaccounted for and believed diverted for illegal uses over a four-year period, and allegedly failed to notify DEA of suspected diversion within the requisite time period | not stated | $4.1 million civil settlement and performance improvement plan with DEA | none documented | source |
|
North Colorado Medical Center Nurse Stole Opioids from Locked Dispensing System
2018-04-26
|
Colorado Greeley, Colorado |
North Colorado Medical Center (Greeley, CO) | Fentanyl, morphine, hydromorphone | Theft from locked automated dispensing system; used drugs while on shift | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced Apr 26, 2018 to 4 months + 1 year supervised release | none documented | source |
|
Denver VA and ER Nurse Tampered with Fentanyl Vials, Resealed with Skin Glue
2018-04-19
|
Colorado Denver, Colorado |
VA Medical Center and a free-standing UCHealth ER (Denver, CO) | Hydromorphone, morphine, fentanyl | Took leftover waste doses; tampered fentanyl vials refilled with saline, resealed with skin glue | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced Apr 19, 2018 to 14 months + 3 years supervised release | none documented | source |
|
UT Southwestern Pays $4.5M Over Staff Fentanyl Diversion and Two Nurse Overdose Deaths
2018-04
|
Texas Dallas, Texas |
Clements University Hospital, UT Southwestern (Dallas, TX) | Fentanyl and other controlled substances | Staff diversion went undetected amid CSA recordkeeping failures — late theft/loss reporting, dispensing/wasting documentation errors | not stated | Civil settlement, $4.5 million — Nov 30, 2021 | $4,500,000 (civil settlement) | source |
|
UC San Diego anesthesiologist's license revoked after alleged sedative diversion and saline substitution
2018-04
|
California | UC San Diego Medical Center | Sedatives and opioids including morphine and fentanyl | not stated | Anesthesiologist | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Wyoming hospital nurse sentenced for diluting hydromorphone and meperidine vials
2018-02-21
|
Wyoming | Hospital in Douglas, Wyoming (Memorial Hospital of Converse County) | Hydromorphone and meperidine | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Former registered nurse at Memorial Hospital of Converse County sentenced for stealing hydromorphone and meperidine and replacing them with saline
2018-02
|
Wyoming Douglas, WY |
Memorial Hospital of Converse County | hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and meperidine (Demerol) | The former nurse pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product and one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, deception or subterfuge. An indictment alleged tampering with 58 vials of hydromorphone and one container of meperidine by removing some or all of the drug and replacing it with saline solution. The former nurse admitted to stealing hydromorphone and a hospital spokesman said the former nurse personally used the drugs. | not stated | Sentenced to two concurrent eight-month prison terms and two concurrent three-year terms of supervised release, with home confinement except for court-approved activities, cognitive-behavioral treatment, and substance abuse treatment. The Wyoming State Board of Nursing suspended the nurse's license. | none documented | source |
|
Former pharmacy-tech trainee at Little Rock VA hospital sentenced to prison for role in opioid theft and sales
2018-02
|
Arkansas | Veterans Affairs hospital in Little Rock | Opioids stolen from a hospital supplier | not stated | Pharmacy-technician trainee | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Utah health system paid $1 million to resolve clinic drug diversion allegations
2017-12-08
|
Utah | Ogden-area clinic and pharmacy operated by a Utah health system | Oxycodone, diazepam, phentermine and hydrocodone | not stated | Former medical assistant to a clinic physician | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Former hospital nurse in Douglas charged with stealing and diluting hydromorphone and meperidine
2017-10
|
Wyoming Douglas, WY |
Memorial Hospital of Converse County | hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and meperidine (Demerol) | Alleged tampering with consumer products by removing some or all of hydromorphone and meperidine and replacing the drugs with saline solution; alleged acquiring Schedule II controlled substances by removing them from their containers and replacing them with saline solution. A hospital spokesman said the former nurse admitted to stealing hydromorphone. | not stated | Pleaded not guilty to four counts; placed on administrative leave and license suspended by the Wyoming State Board of Nursing; remains free on an unsecured bond and a trial was set. | none documented | source |
|
Three former Trinity Hospital hospice nurses accused of stealing drugs and endangering patients
2017-09
|
North Dakota Minot, ND |
Trinity Hospital's Home Health and Hospice program | morphine and hydromorphine; drugs prescribed for hospice patients | Accused of stealing drugs prescribed for hospice patients; two charged with endangering a patient by diluting medication or giving morphine instead of prescribed hydromorphine; alleged conspiracy to steal drugs; one allegedly confessed to ingesting unused medication and self-administering for over a year; investigation found multiple drug diversions in records of 104 patients. | not stated | Charged with felony offenses; two voluntarily surrendered nursing licenses after admitting to board allegations; one arrested and signed promise to appear. | none documented | source |
|
Little Rock VA hospital employee pleads guilty in conspiracy to steal and distribute opioids
2017-09
|
Arkansas | Veterans Affairs hospital in Little Rock | Prescription medication including opioids | not stated | Hospital technician (one of three indicted employees) | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Ogden hospital emergency room nurse charged with diverting morphine and dilaudid and tampering with vials, exposing patients to hepatitis C
2017-07
|
Utah Ogden, UT |
McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden and Davis Hospital and Medical Center in Layton | morphine and dilaudid | Alleged diversion of controlled substances by injecting herself with morphine and dilaudid and then administering the tampered drugs to patients | not stated | Indicted on eight counts of tampering with a consumer product and eight counts of fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance; surrendered nursing license in November 2015 | none documented | source |
|
Registered nurse accused of diverting hydromorphone at Memorial Hospital of Converse County by replacing it with saline
2017-06
|
Wyoming Douglas, WY |
Memorial Hospital of Converse County | hydromorphone (Dilaudid); also Demerol and fentanyl | Allegedly stole hydromorphone for personal use; drew hydromorphone from vials and refilled them with saline; overrode the automated medication dispensing system; tampered with containers of Demerol and fentanyl. A hospital official said the nurse admitted to stealing the hydromorphone. | not stated | Placed on administrative leave; nursing license summarily suspended by the Wyoming State Board of Nursing; state boards and police investigating; no criminal charges filed at that point. | none documented | source |
|
Wayne hospital pharmacy technician indicted for stealing fentanyl from operating room dispensers
2017-06
|
New Jersey | Hospital operating rooms, Wayne, New Jersey | Fentanyl | not stated | Hospital pharmacy technician | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Metro Jackson Hospital Nurse Charged With Embezzling Opioids
2017-05-24
|
Mississippi | Hospital in the Jackson, Mississippi metro area | Dilaudid (hydromorphone) and morphine, both Schedule II | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Hospital nurse accused of embezzling Dilaudid and morphine for diversion
2017-05
|
Mississippi Jackson, MS |
a metro-area hospital | Dilaudid (hydromorphone) and morphine | alleged diversion/embezzlement of Schedule II opioid medications | not stated | arrested; surrendered nursing license | none documented | source |
|
VA Hospital Pharmacy Employees Charged with Stealing and Selling Opioids
2017-02-08
|
Arkansas Little Rock, Arkansas |
VA John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital (Little Rock, AR) | Oxycodone, hydrocodone, promethazine with codeine syrup | Pharmacy tech used VA supplier web-portal access to order excess drugs, falsified invoices, redistributed to coworkers | not stated | Federal indictment unsealed Feb 8, 2017; 8 counts including conspiracy to steal and distribute | none documented | source |
|
Traveling nurse surrendered license after admitting to stealing fentanyl from Massachusetts hospital
2017
|
Massachusetts Newburyport, MA |
Anna Jaques Hospital | fentanyl, morphine, hydromorphone | Stealing fentanyl, morphine and hydromorphone from the hospital; admitted to stealing 27 doses of fentanyl for patients already discharged. | not stated | Surrendered license as a traveling nurse in 2017. | none documented | source |
|
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Employee Charged with Forging Oxycodone Prescriptions
2016-10-12
|
District of Columbia Washington, DC |
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C. | Oxycodone | Allegedly used a nurse practitioner's blank prescription pad to forge and fill oxycodone prescriptions in eight instances, obtaining about 600 pills | not stated | Indicted on eight counts of distribution and eight counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud | none documented | source |
|
Illinois emergency room nurse diverted hydromorphone from Pekin hospital
2016-10-06
|
Illinois | Hospital in Pekin, Illinois | Hydromorphone (Schedule II opioid) | not stated | Emergency room nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
|
New Jersey hospital nurse reprimanded after hydromorphone ampules found tampered with
2016-10
|
New Jersey | Hospital (community medical center) | Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
|
DC hospital administrative assistant indicted over forged prescriptions for 600 oxycodone pills
2016-10
|
District of Columbia | University hospital in Washington, DC | Oxycodone (about 600 pills alleged) | not stated | Administrative assistant (former hospital employee) | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Tufts Medical Center Pays $100,000 to Settle Controlled Substances Recordkeeping Violations
2016-09-20
|
Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts |
Tufts Medical Center (Boston, MA) | Controlled substances generally — losses tied to three former nurses | Inaccurate inventories/records, uncontrolled prescription pads, untimely DEA theft/loss reporting | not stated | Civil settlement, $100,000 — announced Sep 20, 2016; 3 years of warrantless DEA inspections | $100,000 (civil settlement) | source |
|
Northern Maine Medical Center Pays $125,000 to Settle Controlled Substances Act Allegations
2016-08-29
|
Maine Fort Kent, Maine |
Northern Maine Medical Center / Forest Hill long-term care unit (Fort Kent, ME) | Schedule II-V controlled substances — destruction and disposal recordkeeping | Failed to document destruction method/manner; distributed controlled substances at an unregistered location | not stated | Civil settlement, $125,000 — announced Aug 29, 2016 | $125,000 (civil settlement) | source |
|
Emergency room nurse suspended indefinitely for diverting controlled substances from an automated medication administration machine
2016-04
|
Georgia | emergency room of a hospital | controlled substances | repeatedly withdrew controlled substances from an automated medication administration machine and failed to document that they were administered to patients; a drug screen showed three controlled substances in the nurse's system | not stated | suspended until able to demonstrate twelve months of continued sobriety and thereafter placed on probation; the Georgia Board of Nursing's proposed sanction was upheld | none documented | source |
|
Hospital emergency room nurse diverted controlled substances from an automated medication administration machine
2016-04
|
Georgia | a hospital emergency room | controlled substances | repeatedly withdrew controlled substances from an automated medication administration machine and failed to document that they were administered to patients; a drug screen indicated three controlled substances in the nurse's system | not stated | suspended indefinitely; required to demonstrate twelve months of continued sobriety and thereafter placed on probation | none documented | source |
|
Nevada nursing board found a licensed practical nurse withdrew morphine from patient dispensers at a rural hospital without documenting it
2016-03
|
Nevada Caliente, NV |
a rural hospital and nursing home in Caliente, Nevada | morphine | withdrew morphine from the medication dispensers of two patients without documenting what happened to the controlled substance | not stated | license stripped; barred from reapplying for five years | none documented | source |
|
Emory Hospital Pharmacy Technicians Diverted More Than 1 Million Doses of Controlled Substances
2016-02-01
|
Georgia Atlanta, GA |
Hospital pharmacy (Emory University Hospital Midtown, Atlanta, GA) | Alprazolam, hydrocodone, and codeine products | Pharmacy technicians misappropriated buyer credentials to order and receive controlled substances, bypassing receiving and inventory checks | not stated | Georgia Board of Pharmacy consent order finalized February 2016; $200,000 fine and 3-year pharmacy license probation | $200,000 (civil penalty) | source |
|
University hospital employees fired for diverting controlled substances including alprazolam and hydrocodone
2016-02
|
Georgia | Emory University hospital | alprazolam (Xanax), codeine, hydrocodone | Two hospital employees illegally diverted more than a million doses of controlled substances in a scheme that lasted nearly five years. | not stated | The employees were fired; a consent order fined the hospital $200,000 and placed its pharmacy license on probation for three years; the matter was reported to the DEA. | none documented | source |
|
Massachusetts General Hospital Pays $2.3M in Drug Diversion Settlement
2015-09-28
|
Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts |
Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA) | Oxycodone and other pills — ~16,000 stolen by two nurses; 20,000+ records discrepancy | Inadequate monitoring and access controls on automated dispensing machines; incomplete recordkeeping | not stated | Civil settlement, $2.3 million — announced Sep 28, 2015 | $2,300,000 (civil settlement) | source |
|
Madison hospital nurse stole fentanyl vials
2015-08-19
|
Wisconsin Madison, WI |
a Madison hospital | fentanyl | stole vials of fentanyl from a hospital; said she had wanted help before being caught diverting | not stated | nursing license fully reinstated | none documented | source |
|
Nurse at a medical center in Caliente investigated for unaccounted morphine; license revoked
2015-08
|
Nevada Caliente, NV |
a medical center in Caliente, Nevada | morphine | investigated for two 2015 incidents involving unaccounted morphine; investigation indicated obtaining morphine syringes for patients but failing to document whether the drug was administered | not stated | Nevada State Board of Nursing revoked the nursing license for five years for unprofessional conduct | none documented | source |
|
Hospital nurse diverted hydrocodone intended for a patient and falsified records
2015-06
|
West Virginia Parkersburg, WV |
Camden Clark Medical Center | hydrocodone | Admitted to taking two 5 mg hydrocodone pills intended for a patient, keeping them for personal use, and falsely documenting in the patient file that the medication had been given to the patient. | not stated | Pleaded guilty to obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, and subterfuge; terminated from employment on June 27, 2015; faces up to four years in federal prison; sentencing set for October 1, 2018. | none documented | source |
|
Hospital nurse diverted fentanyl from secure medication management stations
2015-05
|
Wisconsin Madison, WI |
a hospital in Madison, Wisconsin | fentanyl | The hospital investigation concluded the nurse diverted 18 vials of fentanyl between May 2 and 3, 2015, by accessing a secure medication management station on a day off, making duplicate withdrawals for the same patient from multiple stations, withdrawing medication while not scheduled to work, and withdrawing from units where not actively providing patient care. The nurse neither admitted nor denied the allegations. | not stated | Professional nursing license suspended for an indefinite period; suspension may be stayed after three months under conditions, including drug and alcohol treatment, monitoring, and practice limitations. | none documented | source |
|
California hospital system agreed to $1.55 million civil penalty after hydrocodone losses at Stockton outpatient pharmacy
2015-04
|
California | Outpatient pharmacy at a Stockton medical center and other Sacramento-area facilities | Hydrocodone tablets and other controlled substances | not stated | Hospital system as DEA registrant | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Physician indicted for trafficking controlled substances prescribed to friends and co-workers
2014-04
|
Ohio Andover, OH |
St. Joseph’s Andover Medical Center | controlled substances | The physician was alleged to have prescribed controlled substances to friends and co-workers who were not patients and not for a legitimate medical purpose, leading to an indictment on 26 felony counts of trafficking in drugs. | not stated | Indicted on 26 felony counts of trafficking in drugs; pleaded not guilty and was released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. | none documented | source |
|
Delaware state hospital nurse charged with forging medication records to obtain oxycodone
2014-03-24
|
Delaware | State hospital for the chronically ill (Smyrna, Delaware) | Oxycodone | not stated | Former nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Former nurse at Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill charged with forging controlled-substance records to divert oxycodone
2014-03
|
Delaware Smyrna, DE |
Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill | Oxycodone | Allegedly forged signatures of other nurses on Controlled Substances sheets to indicate oxycodone had been given to patients, while allegedly keeping the drugs for personal use. | not stated | Arrested and charged with three felony counts of obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation or fraud or forgery, seven counts of second-degree forgery, and one count of falsifying a business record. Released on $51,000 unsecured bond. | none documented | source |
|
Emergency room nurse sentenced for stealing prescription drugs from patient accounts via a hospital dispensing system
2014-03
|
Maine York, ME |
York Hospital emergency room | prescription drugs | Used their own name to access a computerized dispensing system at the hospital and withdrew drugs in the names of emergency room patients; also falsified private records. | not stated | Pleaded guilty to 10 counts of stealing drugs and three counts of falsifying private records; sentenced to two years in prison with all but six months suspended, a consecutive two-year term all suspended, four years of probation, $4,000 in fines and $8,318 in restitution, and prohibited from employment giving access to controlled substances; nursing license under suspension. | none documented | source |
|
UW Hospital nurse charged in morphine and hydromorphone syringe diversion
2014-03
|
Wisconsin Madison, WI |
UW Hospital | morphine and hydromorphone | Admitted to hospital staff that she was diverting pain-management drugs and taking them for herself since October 2013; a police investigation found she accessed morphine syringes from a secured machine, replaced them with syringes containing water or an unknown liquid, and took the morphine syringes for herself in at least 42 instances. | not stated | Arrested on June 12 and was to be charged with 42 felony counts of diversion of drugs and 42 counts of reckless injury; no longer employed by UW Hospital. | none documented | source |
|
Traveling Radiologic Technologist Sentenced for Fentanyl Diversion and Multistate Hepatitis C Outbreak — New Hampshire, 2013
2013-12-02
|
New Hampshire Exeter, New Hampshire |
Exeter Hospital, NH, and hospitals in at least seven other states (traveling technologist) | Fentanyl | Stole fentanyl syringes, self-injected, replaced with saline-filled used syringes | not stated | Pleaded guilty to 8 counts; sentenced to 39 years in federal prison | none documented | source |
|
Delaware nurse suspended two years after unrecorded cabinet withdrawals and muscle-relaxant theft at a state prison
2013-11-07
|
Delaware | Hospital in Lewes, then Sussex Correctional Institute in Georgetown | Vicodin (one pill) and Soma, a muscle relaxant | not stated | Registered nurse (previously licensed practical nurse) | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Hospital pharmacist convicted of stealing oxycodone and Ambien from Mid Coast Hospital for personal use
2013-10
|
Maine Brunswick, ME |
Mid Coast Hospital | Oxycodone and Ambien | Diverted Oxycodone and Ambien from the hospital for personal use; pleaded guilty to two counts of Stealing Drugs in connection with a series of thefts in 2011 and 2012. | not stated | Convicted after guilty plea; sentenced to 2 years imprisonment with all but 14 days suspended and 2 years probation on the felony Oxycodone charge; concurrent 14 days imprisonment on the misdemeanor Ambien charge; ordered to pay $800 in fines; probation condition prohibiting employment with access to controlled substances; pharmacist license revoked in April 2012. | none documented | source |
|
Hospital Settles Adderall Diversion Allegations Involving Medical Residents — New York, 2013
2013-09-20
|
New York Brooklyn, New York |
New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY | Adderall (amphetamine) | Medical residents wrote 194 fraudulent Adderall prescriptions on hospital forms | not stated | Civil consent judgment; no admission of wrongdoing | $70,000 (civil settlement) | source |
|
Licensed practical nurse found to have ingested prescription medications and possessed Adavan at Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill
2013-04
|
Delaware | Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill | prescription medications; Adavan | ingested several prescription medications without telling her supervisor; was found with Adavan in her pocket that should have been administered to a patient but was claimed missing; Hearing Officer found a pattern of theft and consumption of controlled substances | not stated | Board suspended the license for five years, required monthly random drug screens, and required 12 CEs (6 in ethics, 6 in substance abuse) | none documented | source |
|
Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Dilaudid, Causing Patient Infections — Minnesota, 2013
2013-03-20
|
Minnesota St. Cloud, Minnesota |
Hospital in St. Cloud, MN (unnamed in DOJ release) | Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) | Withdrew Dilaudid from patients' IV bags via hospital lockboxes, reinjected saline to mask the theft | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 24 months federal prison | $340,000 (restitution) | source |
|
VA Hospital Pharmacy Technician Sentenced for Stealing Oxycodone and Other Narcotics — Oregon, 2013
2013-01-31
|
Oregon Roseburg, Oregon |
Roseburg VA Medical Center pharmacy, Roseburg, OR | Oxycodone, clonazepam, zolpidem, and OxyContin | Manipulated the pharmacy's narcotics tracking/dispensing system to divert pills | not stated | Sentenced to 24 months in federal prison | $23,475 (restitution) | source |
|
DC hospital medical technician sold patient data and blank prescription forms used for forged oxycodone scripts
2012-09-21
|
District of Columbia | University hospital in Washington, DC | Oxycodone (obtained by a third party through forged prescriptions) | not stated | Medical technician, hospital general surgery department | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Hydromorphone via Drug Cabinet Login Credentials — Minnesota, 2012
2012-01-20
|
Minnesota Minnesota |
Unnamed Minnesota hospital (automated dispensing cabinet access) | Hydromorphone | Used personal login credentials to withdraw the drug from automated dispensing cabinets | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 3 years probation | none documented | source |
|
Psychiatric Hospital Settles Unregistered Methadone Clinic Allegations — Massachusetts, 2011
2011-09-27
|
Massachusetts Georgetown, Massachusetts |
Baldpate Hospital, a private psychiatric hospital in Georgetown, MA | Methadone | Operated an unregistered narcotic treatment clinic; failed to maintain required methadone records/inventories | not stated | Civil settlement with DEA/U.S. Attorney's Office | $29,500 (civil settlement) | source |
|
Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Siphoning Dilaudid from Patients' IV Bags — Minnesota, 2011
2011-06-29
|
Minnesota Coon Rapids, Minnesota |
Mercy Hospital, Coon Rapids, MN | Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) | Used a syringe to withdraw Dilaudid from patients' IV bags | not stated | Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 3 years probation | none documented | source |
|
California hospital lead pharmacy technician diverted over 6,000 controlled-substance tablets from dispensing system
2011-02-07
|
California | University medical center hospital pharmacy, Loma Linda | Several controlled substances; accusation alleged 6,540 tablets, evidence established over 6,000 | not stated | Lead pharmacy technician | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Former nurse pleads guilty to stealing hydromorphone from Mayo Regional Hospital
2010-11
|
Maine Dover-Foxcroft, ME |
Mayo Regional Hospital | hydromorphone | stole about $8,000 worth of drugs from her employer, took the drugs, did not administer them to patients, injected them into her body to dull pain from a previous injury | not stated | pleaded guilty to Class C theft; sentencing continued; district attorney recommended two years in prison with all but 90 days suspended and two years of probation | none documented | source |
|
Surgical Technician Diverts Fentanyl, Triggers Multistate Hepatitis C Outbreak — Colorado, 2010
2010-02-24
|
Colorado Denver, Colorado |
Rose Medical Center (Denver, CO) and Audubon Surgery Center (Colorado Springs, CO) | Fentanyl | Stole patient-intended fentanyl syringes, self-injected, refilled syringes with saline | not stated | Sentenced to 360 months (30 years) in federal prison | $506,935 (restitution) | source |
|
Tulsa hospital pharmacy operator paid civil penalty after employees stole hundreds of thousands of hydrocodone and alprazolam doses
2010-02-19
|
Oklahoma | Two hospital pharmacies in Tulsa run by an outside pharmacy management company | Hydrocodone, alprazolam and phentermine | not stated | Pharmacy employees, including one responsible for invoices and medication purchasing | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Respiratory care practitioner took controlled substances from a hospital's automated dispensing cabinet dispensing system without authorization
2009-10
|
Maryland Baltimore, MD |
hospital | controlled dangerous substances (CDS) | Took CDS from a hospital's automated dispensing cabinet system without authorization amid impairment issues | not stated | Reprimand; probation for a minimum of 1 year subject to terms and conditions | none documented | source |
|
Tucson hospital reached civil settlement with the United States after DEA investigation of missing controlled substances
2009-03-27
|
Arizona | Hospital in Tucson | Controlled substances (several doses reported missing; specific drugs not identified in the source) | not stated | Hospital (institutional controlled-substance registrant) | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Nevada hospital pharmacy technician created fictitious nurse account to pull narcotics from dispensing cabinets
2007-02-22
|
Nevada | Hospital pharmacy and automated dispensing cabinets | Schedule II and III narcotic drugs | not stated | Pharmaceutical technician | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Hospital anesthesiologist diverted controlled dangerous substances from medication management system and falsified patient records
2006-10
|
Maryland Berlin, MD |
hospital | controlled dangerous substances (unspecified) | diverted controlled dangerous substances from a hospital medication management system and placed false information in patient medical records to conceal the diversion | not stated | Summary Suspension | none documented | source |
|
Illinois hospital bacteremia outbreak linked to nurse drug diversion
2006
|
Illinois | Hospital in Illinois | not stated | not stated | Nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Physician removed hospital supplies to administer a controlled substance to a friend and falsified test records to conceal it
2005-02
|
Maryland | a hospital | a controlled dangerous substance (CDS, unspecified) | Removed supplies from a hospital to intravenously administer a controlled dangerous substance to an addicted friend, then arranged for the friend's blood to be tested with results filed under another inpatient's name to conceal the act. | not stated | License revocation | none documented | source |
|
Registered nurse diverted morphine and fentanyl from Children's Hospital of Wisconsin stock or waste
2004-11
|
Wisconsin Milwaukee County, Wisconsin |
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin | morphine and fentanyl | The Board found that the nurse diverted morphine and fentanyl from hospital stock or waste for personal use over four years until June 28, 2004, and consumed the substances at work without a prescription or other authority. The nurse was also criminally charged with unlawfully obtaining a controlled substance. | not stated | License suspended for six months, then indefinitely, with conditions including treatment, monitoring, and restricted access to controlled substances; partial costs of $200. | none documented | source |
|
Registered nurse misappropriated controlled substances at Mountainside Hospital
1995-09
|
New Jersey | Mountainside Hospital | controlled substances | misappropriated controlled substances for personal use from December 1994 through April 1995 while employed as a nurse | not stated | nursing license suspended indefinitely by consent order | none documented | source |
|
Arkansas hospital nurse's license suspended three years after narcotics cabinet tampering and Demerol concerns
1993-08-17
|
Arkansas | Two hospitals, in Bentonville and Eureka Springs | Demerol (meperidine) | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Registered nurse misappropriated controlled substances at Montclair Community Hospital
1991-10
|
New Jersey | Montclair Community Hospital | controlled substances | misappropriated controlled substances during February and March 1991 while employed as a nurse | not stated | nursing license suspended for two years | none documented | source |
|
University of Utah Medical Center nurse accused of diverting Percocet by substituting Tylenol
1990-06
|
Utah | University of Utah Medical Center | Percocet; Tylenol; Tylenol and Motrin combinations | Allegedly signed out Percocet prescribed to patients who had already been discharged and had not requested the drug; on about 10 occasions allegedly gave plain Tylenol or Tylenol and Motrin combinations to women who had requested Percocet and kept the Percocet for her own use; allegedly began taking one to three pills a week away from work and later used Percocet at work. | not stated | Faces sanctions against her license; charged by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing with two counts of violating the state's Nurse Practice Act and Controlled Substance Act; had 30 days to respond, after which a hearing could be held or a settlement negotiated; voluntarily entered a drug dependency program earlier that year. | none documented | source |
|
Vermont hospital nurse admitted diverting patient drugs; civil suit tested confidentiality of board investigative files
1990-01
|
Vermont | Hospital (Windham County civil action) | Injectable drugs intended for a patient (unspecified) | not stated | Registered nurse | not stated | none documented | source |
|
Mississippi nurse anesthetist's license revocation over unaccounted Demerol reversed by state supreme court
1984-10-03
|
Mississippi | County hospital in Monticello, Mississippi | Demerol | not stated | Certified registered nurse anesthetist | not stated | none documented | source |
|
DC agency nurse's Demerol pull for a patient with an expired order led to two-year suspension, upheld on appeal
1983-03-29
|
District of Columbia | Capitol Hill Hospital, Washington, DC | Demerol (meperidine), 50 mg | not stated | Registered nurse (temporary staffing agency) | not stated | none documented | source |
What each column does and doesn't cover
Every case states When (date) and Where (state) — 724 of 724. Beyond that, a blank cell means the source record does not state that fact, not that it did not happen:
- Setting: stated in 643 of 724 cases (89%)
- Drug: stated in 651 of 724 cases (90%)
- Method: stated in 467 of 724 cases (65%)
- Prosecution status: stated in 467 of 724 cases (65%); a documented penalty (fine, settlement, or restitution) exists for 76 of 724 cases (10%)
- Role: stated in only 256 of 724 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.
Drug swapped for a substitute and the container returned to circulation
137 of 723
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.
Outright theft or embezzlement of stock (no substitution described)
120 of 723
Text uses stole/stealing/embezzled to describe removal of controlled substances.
Records, charts, orders, inventories, or receipts falsified to conceal the diversion
58 of 723
Text uses a form of "falsif-" within 60 characters of a record-type noun (chart, inventory, transaction, receipt, prescription, etc.).
Prescriptions fraudulent, forged, invalid, or written outside legitimate medical practice
53 of 723
Text explicitly characterizes the prescription(s) as fraudulent, forged, invalid, or issued outside legitimate medical practice (including "pill mill" language).
Automated dispensing cabinet used as the point of exploitation
30 of 723
Text names an automated dispensing cabinet/machine, or the acronym ADC, as part of the mechanism.
Waste/wastage claim used to cover the diversion, or wastage not witnessed
38 of 723
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.
Cancelled, voided, or falsely entered dispensing-system transactions to hide the removal
11 of 723
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.
Facility-level failure to maintain accurate inventory or required records (not one employee concealing a theft)
24 of 723
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.
Drug obtained using a false identity, a fictitious patient, or impersonation
11 of 723
Text describes using a fictitious patient profile, a false name/identity, stolen patient information, or impersonating a licensed prescriber to obtain the drug.
Known or suspected loss/theft/diversion not reported to DEA or a licensing board
10 of 723
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.