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 19 of 24, 451–475 of 588
- Georgia hospital settles allegations over unaccounted 30 mg oxycodone tablets believed diverted 2018-05 · Hospital / health system
- ED Nurse Transmits Hepatitis C to Patients at Good Samaritan Hospital 2018-05 · Puyallup, Washington · Hospital / health system
- North Colorado Medical Center Nurse Stole Opioids from Locked Dispensing System 2018-04-26 · Greeley, Colorado · Hospital / health system
- Springfield chain pharmacy technician admitted stealing thousands of hydrocodone tablets over nine months 2018-04-19 · Retail pharmacy
- Denver VA and ER Nurse Tampered with Fentanyl Vials, Resealed with Skin Glue 2018-04-19 · Denver, Colorado · Hospital / health system
- UT Southwestern Pays $4.5M Over Staff Fentanyl Diversion and Two Nurse Overdose Deaths 2018-04 · Dallas, Texas · Hospital / health system
- UC San Diego anesthesiologist's license revoked after alleged sedative diversion and saline substitution 2018-04 · Hospital / health system
- Meridian nurse practitioner pleaded guilty to swapping hydrocodone in clinic cabinets for muscle relaxants and forging prescriptions 2018-03-14 · Other / not classified
- Wyoming hospital nurse sentenced for diluting hydromorphone and meperidine vials 2018-02-21 · Hospital / health system
- Home-Infusion Pharmacy Tech Diluted Hospice Patients' IV Opioids 2018-02-21 · Birmingham, Alabama · Retail pharmacy
- Former registered nurse at Memorial Hospital of Converse County sentenced for stealing hydromorphone and meperidine and replacing them with saline 2018-02 · Douglas, WY · Hospital / health system
- Birmingham Pharmacy Technician Tampered with Opioid IV Bags Prepared for Palliative Care Patients 2018-02 · Birmingham, AL · Retail pharmacy
- New Mexico Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2018) 2018 · New Mexico · Home health / hospice
- North Carolina Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2018) 2018 · North Carolina · Other / not classified
- Kentucky Pharmacist Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2018) 2018 · Kentucky · Retail pharmacy
- Arizona Pharmacist Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2018) 2018 · Arizona · Retail pharmacy
- Utah health system paid $1 million to resolve clinic drug diversion allegations 2017-12-08 · Hospital / health system
- Orlando pharmacist sentenced to more than 24 years for dispensing oxycodone on fraudulent and pill-mill prescriptions 2017-12 · Retail pharmacy
- Former hospital nurse in Douglas charged with stealing and diluting hydromorphone and meperidine 2017-10 · Douglas, WY · Hospital / health system
- Perryville pharmacy owner sentenced to 10 years for selling opioids off pharmacy shelves and forging prescriptions 2017-09-27 · Retail pharmacy
- Three former Trinity Hospital hospice nurses accused of stealing drugs and endangering patients 2017-09 · Minot, ND · Hospital / health system
- Nevada grocery-pharmacy technician accused of diverting hydrocodone, amphetamine and oxycodone tablets from patient bottles 2017-08 · Retail pharmacy
- South Dakota medication aide charged with hydrocodone possession in 2017 health care fraud sweep 2017-07-13 · Other / not classified
- Ogden hospital emergency room nurse charged with diverting morphine and dilaudid and tampering with vials, exposing patients to hepatitis C 2017-07 · Ogden, UT · Hospital / health system
- Massachusetts Paramedic Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Ambulance Fentanyl 2017-06-22 · Rowley, Massachusetts · Emergency services / EMS
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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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