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 16 of 24, 376–400 of 588
- Pharmacy technician diverted Norco, Percocet, and MS Contin from Magee General Hospital pharmacy 2020-07 · Hospital / health system
- Eastern Iowa ICU Nurse Sentenced for Stealing Patient's Fentanyl and Morphine 2020-06-26 · Cedar Rapids, Iowa · Hospital / health system
- ICU Nurse Steals Fentanyl IV Bags at Research Medical Center 2020-06-18 · Kansas City, Missouri · Hospital / health system
- South Dakota ICU nurse's lawsuit over termination for fentanyl discrepancies rejected on appeal 2020-06-17 · Hospital / health system
- South Dakota ICU nurse fired after fentanyl accountability review; wrongful-discharge suit fails on appeal 2020-06-17 · Hospital / health system
- Savage Family Pharmacy Pays $180,480 to Settle Controlled Substances Act Recordkeeping Violations 2020-06-08 · Waynesboro, Pennsylvania · Retail pharmacy
- ICU nurse at a Sioux Falls hospital accused of diverting fentanyl, lorazepam and hydromorphone after medication records review 2020-06 · Sioux Falls, SD · Hospital / health system
- CRNA Tampered with Fentanyl Vials at Charles City Hospital 2020-05-29 · Charles City, Iowa · Hospital / health system
- VA Urgent Care Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Hydromorphone 2020-05-28 · Pineville, Louisiana · Hospital / health system
- Nurse accused of diverting fentanyl and hydromorphone at Danville hospital 2020-05 · Danville, VA · Other / not classified
- Pinellas Park pharmacy owner sentenced for filling oxycodone and hydromorphone prescriptions outside professional practice 2020-04-24 · Retail pharmacy
- Pembina County Long-Term Care Nurse Charged With Stealing Resident Narcotics 2020-04-13 · Mountain, North Dakota · Long-term care
- Wisconsin Dentist Pleads Guilty to Diverting Oxycodone Through Employee's Prescription 2020-03-12 · Mauston, Wisconsin · Dental / oral surgery
- Buffalo-Area Physician Diverted Controlled Substances Through Fraudulent Prescriptions to Associates 2020-03-05 · Buffalo, New York · Hospital / health system
- Anchorage nurse practitioner charged with manslaughter and drug distribution for opioid prescriptions without office visits 2020-03 · Anchorage, AK · Other / not classified
- Farmville pharmacy and pharmacist-in-charge ordered to pay $600,000 and permanently barred from dispensing controlled substances 2020-02-03 · Retail pharmacy
- Rawlins physician charged with prescribing oxycodone and other controlled substances outside legitimate medical practice 2020-02 · Rawlins, WY · Other / not classified
- Iowa Nursing Home Nurse Sentenced for Stealing Patients' Pain Medication 2020-01-28 · Manchester, Iowa · Long-term care
- West Virginia Pharmacist Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · West Virginia · Other / not classified
- Pennsylvania Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2020, case 2) 2020 · Pennsylvania · Other / not classified
- Pennsylvania Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Pennsylvania · Other / not classified
- Pennsylvania Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Pennsylvania · Other / not classified
- Ohio Nurse Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Ohio · Other / not classified
- Louisiana Pharmacist Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Louisiana · Other / not classified
- Kentucky Pharmacist Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Kentucky · 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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