Hydrocodone diversion cases
157 documented cases, 2007–2026.
Figures are derived from the 931 case records collected on this site, not from any official total. A record counts here when its Drug field names hydrocodone; it also appears on the opioids page.
Monetary penalties stated
Median: $21,259.10
Smallest $500 · largest $2,600,000
Median of 26 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 21 of 157 records. 136 records state no dollar amount.
Custodial sentences stated
Shortest: 6 months
Longest: 144 months (12 years)
32 prison or jail terms stated in 29 of 157 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.
Roles named in the records
| Role | Records |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy technician | 39 |
| Pharmacist | 32 |
| Nurse (role unspecified) | 27 |
| Physician / surgeon | 25 |
| Not stated in the record or its title | 21 |
| Nurse practitioner / APRN | 5 |
| Registered nurse (RN) | 4 |
| Licensed practical / vocational nurse | 1 |
| Nurse aide / assistant | 1 |
| Surgical / OR technician | 1 |
| Veterinarian | 1 |
From the Role field (43) or, where the record has none, the case title (93).
States with the most records
| State | Records |
|---|---|
| Illinois | 13 |
| Alabama | 8 |
| California | 8 |
| Kentucky | 7 |
| Mississippi | 7 |
| Hawaii | 6 |
| Iowa | 6 |
| Arkansas | 5 |
46 states and territories in all; every state.
Settings involved
| Setting | Records |
|---|---|
| Other / not classified | 70 |
| Retail pharmacy | 55 |
| Hospital / health system | 22 |
| Long-term care | 8 |
| No setting stated | 2 |
Other drugs and classes
Cases
Newest first · page 5 of 7, 101–125 of 157
- Army hospital pharmacy technician admitted stealing and distributing hydrocodone and oxycodone 2019-02 · Oahu, Hawaii · Hospital / health system
- Missouri Prescriber Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2019) 2019 · Missouri · Other / not classified
- Kansas Pharmacist Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2019) 2019 · Kansas · Other / not classified
- California Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2019) 2019 · California · Other / not classified
- Arizona pharmacist and technician sentenced for diverting over 200,000 opioid tablets through two Phoenix-area pharmacies 2018-11-30 · Other / not classified
- Phoenix-Area Pharmacist and Technician Diverted More Than 200,000 Opioid Tablets from Two Pharmacies 2018-11-28 · Peoria / Phoenix, AZ · Other / not classified
- Las Vegas nurse practitioner and surgical technician pleaded guilty to distributing hydrocodone and oxycodone prescriptions for cash 2018-10 · Other / not classified
- Hospital pharmacy technician diverted hydrocodone and oxycodone from a pharmacy vault through fraudulent automated dispensing transactions 2018-10 · Hospital / health system
- Long Island pharmacy chain settled claims it failed to timely report controlled substance losses and thefts 2018-06-28 · Retail pharmacy
- Springfield chain pharmacy technician admitted stealing thousands of hydrocodone tablets over nine months 2018-04-19 · Retail pharmacy
- Meridian nurse practitioner pleaded guilty to swapping hydrocodone in clinic cabinets for muscle relaxants and forging prescriptions 2018-03-14 · Other / not classified
- Kentucky Pharmacist Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2018) 2018 · Kentucky · Retail pharmacy
- Arizona Pharmacist Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2018) 2018 · Arizona · Retail pharmacy
- Utah health system paid $1 million to resolve clinic drug diversion allegations 2017-12-08 · Hospital / health system
- Perryville pharmacy owner sentenced to 10 years for selling opioids off pharmacy shelves and forging prescriptions 2017-09-27 · Retail pharmacy
- Nevada grocery-pharmacy technician accused of diverting hydrocodone, amphetamine and oxycodone tablets from patient bottles 2017-08 · Retail pharmacy
- South Dakota medication aide charged with hydrocodone possession in 2017 health care fraud sweep 2017-07-13 · Other / not classified
- VA Hospital Pharmacy Employees Charged with Stealing and Selling Opioids 2017-02-08 · Little Rock, Arkansas · Hospital / health system
- Minnesota pharmacist diverted hydrocodone, zolpidem and tramadol for years and altered records; license suspended indefinitely 2017-02 · Other / not classified
- Missouri Physician Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2017) 2017 · Missouri · Other / not classified
- Casper physician suspended over alleged excessive painkiller prescriptions and oxycodone conspiracy 2016-12 · Casper, WY · Other / not classified
- Illinois nursing home nurse diverted hydrocodone by falsely recording resident requests 2016-10-17 · Long-term care
- Emory Hospital Pharmacy Technicians Diverted More Than 1 Million Doses of Controlled Substances 2016-02-01 · Atlanta, GA · Hospital / health system
- University hospital employees fired for diverting controlled substances including alprazolam and hydrocodone 2016-02 · Hospital / health system
- West Virginia Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2016) 2016 · West Virginia · Other / not classified
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Disclaimer
Case summaries are based on public records (DOJ press releases, court documents, licensing-board orders, news reports). Charges are allegations unless a conviction is noted. Analysis is educational, not legal advice.
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