Opioid diversion cases
588 documented cases, 1983–2026.
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 a opioid (buprenorphine, codeine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, meperidine, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, sufentanil, tramadol).
Monetary penalties stated
Median: $27,250
Smallest $400 · largest $4,500,000
Median of 84 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 74 of 588 records. 514 records state no dollar amount.
Custodial sentences stated
Shortest: 1 month
Longest: 468 months (39 years)
133 prison or jail terms stated in 130 of 588 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.
Roles named in the records
| Role | Records |
|---|---|
| Nurse (role unspecified) | 215 |
| Pharmacist | 75 |
| Pharmacy technician | 72 |
| Physician / surgeon | 68 |
| Not stated in the record or its title | 67 |
| Registered nurse (RN) | 41 |
| Licensed practical / vocational nurse | 11 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | 10 |
| Nurse practitioner / APRN | 8 |
| Paramedic / EMT | 8 |
| Dentist / oral surgery | 4 |
| Nurse aide / assistant | 3 |
| Surgical / OR technician | 3 |
| Veterinarian | 3 |
From the Role field (105) or, where the record has none, the case title (416).
States with the most records
| State | Records |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 26 |
| New York | 24 |
| Maryland | 21 |
| Illinois | 19 |
| Florida | 18 |
| Iowa | 18 |
| Michigan | 17 |
| Connecticut | 16 |
52 states and territories in all; every state.
Settings involved
| Setting | Records |
|---|---|
| Other / not classified | 235 |
| Hospital / health system | 199 |
| Retail pharmacy | 100 |
| Long-term care | 19 |
| Ambulatory surgery / OR | 9 |
| Dental / oral surgery | 6 |
| Emergency services / EMS | 5 |
| Home health / hospice | 5 |
| Fertility / reproductive | 2 |
| No setting stated | 8 |
Drugs named
| Drug | Records |
|---|---|
| oxycodone | 248 |
| fentanyl | 181 |
| hydrocodone | 157 |
| hydromorphone | 124 |
| morphine | 87 |
| alprazolam | 31 |
| methadone | 23 |
| tramadol | 23 |
| codeine | 16 |
| amphetamine | 14 |
| meperidine | 14 |
| lorazepam | 11 |
| midazolam | 9 |
| propofol | 5 |
| ketamine | 4 |
| buprenorphine | 2 |
| methylphenidate | 2 |
| sufentanil | 2 |
| phenobarbital | 1 |
| testosterone | 1 |
A record naming two drugs counts under both.
Other drugs and classes
Cases
Newest first · page 10 of 24, 226–250 of 588
- National chain pharmacy manager disciplined after oxycodone reported lost/stolen as employee pilferage 2023-06 · Waldorf, MD · Retail pharmacy
- CVS pharmacy manager diverted hydromorphone tablets and liquid solution for personal use; license revoked 2023-06 · Berlin, VT · Retail pharmacy
- Raleigh-Area Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Surgical Patients' Painkillers 2023-05-22 · Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina · Other / not classified
- Cape Girardeau Nurse Admits Taking Leftover Fentanyl from Hospital 2023-05-05 · Cape Girardeau, Missouri · Hospital / health system
- Surgical practice nurse sentenced for tampering with fentanyl, morphine, and meperidine and replacing them with saline 2023-05 · Raleigh, NC · Other / not classified
- Pharmacy technician's credential revoked for theft of oxycodone tablets from a patient's prescription 2023-05 · Retail pharmacy
- Denver Paramedic Supervisor Sentenced for Stealing 1,900 Vials of Fentanyl 2023-04-19 · Denver, Colorado · Hospital / health system
- Chicago-Area Rehab Center Nursing Director Pleads Guilty to Diluting Patients' Morphine 2023-04-11 · Chicago, Illinois · Other / not classified
- Nursing home director of nursing used pre-signed prescription pads to divert hydrocodone 2023-04 · Montgomery, AL · Long-term care
- Hospital nurse accused of diverting fentanyl from CHI Health St. Elizabeth 2023-04 · Lincoln, NE · Other / not classified
- Missoula Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Opioids Flagged by Distribution Audit 2023-03-22 · Missoula, Montana · Hospital / health system
- Kansas hospital nurse sentenced for tampering with fentanyl and hydromorphone vials 2023-03-13 · Hospital / health system
- Kansas Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Fentanyl and Hydromorphone Vials 2023-03-13 · Overland Park, Kansas · Hospital / health system
- Michigan Pharmacist Sentenced for Selling 25,000+ Opioid Pills from His Own Pharmacy 2023-02-09 · Madison Heights, Michigan · Retail pharmacy
- Missouri Methadone Clinic Owner Admits Diluting Methadone to Conceal a Shortage from the DEA 2023-02-03 · Leadington, Missouri · Other / not classified
- Pharmacy technician diverted a customer's oxycodone prescription at a Hagerstown pharmacy 2023-02 · Hagerstown, MD · Retail pharmacy
- Massachusetts Nursing Home Nurse Sentenced for Diluting a Dementia Patient's Morphine 2023-01-13 · Northborough, Massachusetts · Long-term care
- Massachusetts Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl at Hospital and Surgery Center 2023-01-10 · Massachusetts · Hospital / health system
- Pain clinic nurse practitioner conspired to dispense fentanyl by forging a physician's signature on prescriptions 2023-01 · Other / not classified
- South Dakota Pharmacist Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2023) 2023 · South Dakota · Hospital / health system
- South Dakota Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2023) 2023 · South Dakota · Other / not classified
- New York Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2023, case 2) 2023 · New York · Other / not classified
- New York Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2023) 2023 · New York · Other / not classified
- New York Pharmacist Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2023) 2023 · New York · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2023) 2023 · New Hampshire · 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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