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 6 of 7, 126–150 of 157
- Mississippi Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2016) 2016 · Mississippi · Long-term care
- Pharmacy technician diverted over 216,000 Norco tablets from a retail pharmacy while the pharmacist-in-charge failed to detect the theft 2015-08 · West Hills, CA · Retail pharmacy
- Hospital nurse diverted hydrocodone intended for a patient and falsified records 2015-06 · Parkersburg, WV · Hospital / health system
- California hospital system agreed to $1.55 million civil penalty after hydrocodone losses at Stockton outpatient pharmacy 2015-04 · Hospital / health system
- West Virginia Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2015) 2015 · West Virginia · Other / not classified
- Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Stealing 67,000 Doses of Prescription Narcotics — Minnesota, 2014 2014-10-28 · Burnsville, Minnesota · Retail pharmacy
- Pharmacy technician admitted taking Xanax, Lortab and Luminal without payment from a national chain pharmacy 2014-10 · Baltimore, MD · Retail pharmacy
- Vermont supermarket pharmacist wrote and filled fraudulent hydrocodone prescriptions in two states 2014-03-11 · Retail pharmacy
- Burlington pharmacy technician accused of taking thousands of hydrocodone, zolpidem and buprenorphine tablets 2014-03-11 · Retail pharmacy
- Virginia Prescriber Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2014) 2014 · Virginia · Other / not classified
- Mississippi Pharmacist Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2014) 2014 · Mississippi · Other / not classified
- Maryland Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2014) 2014 · Maryland · Other / not classified
- Illinois Physician Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2014) 2014 · Illinois · Other / not classified
- Iowa Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2014) 2014 · Iowa · Other / not classified
- Delaware nurse suspended two years after unrecorded cabinet withdrawals and muscle-relaxant theft at a state prison 2013-11-07 · Hospital / health system
- Psychiatrist found to have unlawfully possessed controlled substances taken back from patients and kept no required records 2013-09 · Albuquerque, NM · Other / not classified
- California retail pharmacy technician accused of conspiring with physician to divert opioids; Board decision issued 2013-07-17 · Retail pharmacy
- Sweetbriar Assisted Living nurse sentenced for hydrocodone theft and falsifying records 2013-06 · Charleston, WV · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire pharmacy technician's registration suspended after admitted hydrocodone theft and resale 2013-06 · Retail pharmacy
- Texas Pharmacy Technician Faces License Action Over Opioid Diversion (2013) 2013 · Texas · Retail pharmacy
- Tennessee Pharmacist Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2013) 2013 · Tennessee · Other / not classified
- South Burlington physician pleaded guilty to prescription fraud after writing prescriptions under fictitious names 2012-11 · Other / not classified
- Pharmacy technician admitted diverting Valium, Promethazine/Codeine Syrup, Vicodin, Loratadine, and Soma from Pharmacy A 2012-07 · Retail pharmacy
- A pharmacy technician diverted narcotics by taking and selling them, and the pharmacy's controlled-substance records were found inaccurate as a result 2012-05 · Retail pharmacy
- Overland Park pharmacy technician stole hydrocodone and lorazepam, falsified inventories; sentenced to federal probation 2012-04-16 · Retail pharmacy
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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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