Hydromorphone diversion cases
124 documented cases, 2001–2026.
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 hydromorphone; it also appears on the opioids page.
Monetary penalties stated
Median: $5,129.10
Smallest $1,000 · largest $4,360,000
Median of 14 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 13 of 124 records. 111 records state no dollar amount.
Custodial sentences stated
Shortest: 3 months
Longest: 60 months (5 years)
29 prison or jail terms stated in 29 of 124 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.
Roles named in the records
| Role | Records |
|---|---|
| Nurse (role unspecified) | 71 |
| Pharmacist | 14 |
| Registered nurse (RN) | 14 |
| Physician / surgeon | 9 |
| Pharmacy technician | 6 |
| Licensed practical / vocational nurse | 2 |
| Not stated in the record or its title | 2 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | 2 |
| Paramedic / EMT | 2 |
| Nurse practitioner / APRN | 1 |
| Veterinarian | 1 |
From the Role field (21) or, where the record has none, the case title (101).
States with the most records
| State | Records |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 7 |
| Connecticut | 6 |
| Florida | 6 |
| Minnesota | 6 |
| Massachusetts | 5 |
| Michigan | 5 |
| North Carolina | 5 |
| Oklahoma | 5 |
39 states and territories in all; every state.
Settings involved
| Setting | Records |
|---|---|
| Hospital / health system | 74 |
| Other / not classified | 29 |
| Retail pharmacy | 14 |
| Emergency services / EMS | 2 |
| Home health / hospice | 2 |
| Ambulatory surgery / OR | 1 |
| No setting stated | 2 |
Other drugs and classes
Cases
Newest first · page 1 of 5, 1–25 of 124
- Former VA Medical Center Nurse Indicted for Stealing Hydromorphone 2026-08-21 · Minneapolis, Minnesota · Hospital / health system
- LeMars Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Hydromorphone, Falsifying Patient Records 2026-07-09 · LeMars, Iowa · Other / not classified
- Registered nurse charged with unlawfully obtaining oxycodone, hydromorphone and fentanyl at a Horry County hospital 2026-07 · Horry County, SC · Hospital / health system
- Muncie hospital pharmacy license put on probation after pharmacy manager diverted opioids using unused transaction types 2026-07 · Muncie, IN · Hospital / health system
- Indiana hospital pharmacy placed on probation after multi-year opioid diversion by pharmacy manager 2026-07 · Hospital / health system
- Tampa Bay Nurse Sentenced to Two Years for Tampering with and Stealing Injectable Opioids 2026-06-11 · Tampa, Florida · Hospital / health system
- Chesapeake Hospital Nurse Pleads Guilty to Diverting Hydromorphone From Cancer and Sickle-Cell Patients 2026-04-24 · Chesapeake, Virginia · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse removed fentanyl from medication safe without order or documentation and failed to document controlled substance administration/wasting; license revoked 2026-04 · Hospital / health system
- Hospital nurse accused of stealing opioids from patients at Grand Strand Medical Center 2026-04 · Horry County, SC · Hospital / health system
- Seattle Anesthesiology Resident Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Hydromorphone While Treating Children 2026-02-02 · Seattle, Washington · Hospital / health system
- Hospital nurse found with Dilaudid and Hydrocodone waste in pocket from work 2026-02 · Hospital / health system
- Portland Veterinarian Diverted Controlled Substances, Replaced with Saline 2026-01-20 · Portland, Oregon · Other / not classified
- North Carolina Nurse Charged in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · North Carolina · Other / not classified
- Indiana Pharmacist Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Indiana · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire emergency department nurse pleaded guilty after keeping partial opioid doses 2025-12 · Hospital / health system
- Anchorage Nurse Practitioner Sentenced for Prescribing Opioids Without Medical Purpose 2025-11-14 · Anchorage, Alaska
- Stamford Nurse Tampered with Hydromorphone and Fentanyl Vials 2025-08-12 · Stamford, Connecticut · Other / not classified
- Traveling Nurse Diverted Hydromorphone from Beckley Hospital Using Patients' Health Information 2025-07-03 · Beckley, WV · Hospital / health system
- Travel Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Hydromorphone at West Virginia Hospital 2025-07-03 · Beckley, West Virginia · Hospital / health system
- Travel nurse at Beckley hospital diverted hydromorphone, sentenced to five years 2025-07 · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse alleged to have diverted IV Dilaudid from a worksite an automated dispensing cabinet by logging it out and pocketing it 2025-01 · Other / not classified
- West Virginia Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · West Virginia · Hospital / health system
- New Hampshire Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · New Hampshire · Other / not classified
- Iowa Nurse Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2025, case 2) 2025 · Iowa · Hospital / health system
- Arkansas Pharmacist Convicted in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2025) 2025 · Arkansas · Retail pharmacy
← All drugs and drug classes · Cases by state · Filter these cases in the case database · Check your own controls with the free assessment
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.
Would your controls have caught these?
The free self-assessment scores your own controls: 8 sections, 63 weighted items, a score for each section, and a PDF you can take to your committee. No account or login.
Start the free assessment