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 12 of 24, 276–300 of 588
- Registered nurse diverted oxycodone, hydrocodone/acetaminophen, and hydromorphone from patients at a Madison medical center 2022-10 · Madison, WI · Hospital / health system
- Missouri nurse diverted fentanyl at two hospitals after being fired for the first diversion 2022-10 · Hospital / health system
- Hilo Hospital Nurse Charged With Stealing Fentanyl 2022-09-23 · Hilo, Hawaii · Hospital / health system
- Connecticut Outpatient Clinic Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl Vials 2022-09-22 · Hartford, Connecticut · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- Butte Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Hydromorphone Cartridges 2022-09-08 · Butte, Montana · Hospital / health system
- Massachusetts Paramedic Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Ambulance Fentanyl Vials 2022-08-30 · Needham, Massachusetts · Emergency services / EMS
- Detroit Hospital Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Critical Care Patients' Hydromorphone 2022-08-30 · Detroit, Michigan · Hospital / health system
- Hospice nurse admitted diverting oxycodone and Oxycontin from two patients 2022-08 · Watertown, WI · Home health / hospice
- Missouri Nurse License Revoked Over Hospital Opioid Diversion and Unauthorized Badge Access 2022-07-05 · St. Louis, Missouri · Hospital / health system
- Eastern Idaho nurse practitioner consented to civil judgment over hydrocodone prescriptions written for a third party 2022-06-14 · Other / not classified
- North Carolina Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Hydromorphone Vials 2022-06-01 · Winston-Salem, North Carolina · Hospital / health system
- Nursing home licensed practical nurse convicted of diverting 638 narcotics pills from residents 2022-06 · Georgiana, AL · Long-term care
- Emergency room nurse sentenced to probation for diverting fentanyl from a Lincoln hospital pharmacy 2022-06 · Lincoln, NE · Other / not classified
- York, Pennsylvania Personal Care Home Nurse Sentenced for Stealing a Hospice Patient's Oxycodone 2022-05-23 · York, Pennsylvania · Other / not classified
- Dearborn physician pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute hydrocodone without medical necessity 2022-05-02 · Other / not classified
- Missoula Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Hydromorphone 2022-04-26 · Missoula, Montana · Hospital / health system
- Ulster County Dentist Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Oxycodone in a Patient's Name 2022-04-14 · Stone Ridge, New York · Dental / oral surgery
- Jacksonville Hospital ICU Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Patients' Fentanyl 2022-04-13 · Jacksonville, Florida · Hospital / health system
- DC nurse and nurse practitioner licenses revoked after oxycodone distribution conviction 2022-04-08 · Washington, DC · Other / not classified
- Hilo Medical Center nurse charged with fentanyl theft and drug possession 2022-04 · Hilo, HI · Hospital / health system
- Worcester County Nursing Home Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering With a Dementia Patient's Morphine 2022-03-08 · Northborough, Massachusetts · Long-term care
- Danville Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Fentanyl and Hydromorphone 2022-03-04 · Danville, Virginia · Other / not classified
- Mount Pleasant pharmacy technician charged with stealing OxyContin and Adderall from CVS pharmacy 2022-03 · Mount Pleasant, SC · Retail pharmacy
- Illinois Dentist Charged with Tampering with Patients' Fentanyl 2022-02-10 · Rochester, Illinois · Dental / oral surgery
- Cedar Rapids Surgery Center Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl Vials 2022-01-21 · Cedar Rapids, Iowa · Ambulatory surgery / OR
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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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