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 24 of 24, 576–588 of 588
- Utah Prescriber Faces License Action Over Opioid Diversion (2005) 2005 · Utah · Dental / oral surgery
- Registered nurse diverted morphine and fentanyl from Children's Hospital of Wisconsin stock or waste 2004-11 · Milwaukee County, Wisconsin · Hospital / health system
- Physician assistant's certification revoked after guilty plea to illegally distributing oxycodone 2004-01 · Montgomery, PA · Other / not classified
- Family practice physician's license revoked after ingesting morphine in violation of probation 2004-01 · Catonsville, MD · Other / not classified
- Anesthesiologist placed on probation after being sanctioned for abusing fentanyl and Demerol 2003-07 · Los Angeles, CA · Other / not classified
- Radiation therapy technologist's certification revoked after positive drug test for morphine 2003-01 · Bel Air, MD · Other / not classified
- Rochester nurse admitted diverting morphine and hydromorphone through fraudulent dispensing-cabinet entries 2001-11-09
- Children's Wisconsin nurse diverted morphine and fentanyl for self-administration 2000 · Other / not classified
- Durham pharmacist admitted unauthorized Sufentanil use; license suspended 30 days, stayed five years 1995-01 · Durham, NC · Other / not classified
- Arkansas hospital nurse's license suspended three years after narcotics cabinet tampering and Demerol concerns 1993-08-17 · Hospital / health system
- University of Utah Medical Center nurse accused of diverting Percocet by substituting Tylenol 1990-06 · Hospital / health system
- Mississippi nurse anesthetist's license revocation over unaccounted Demerol reversed by state supreme court 1984-10-03 · Hospital / health system
- DC agency nurse's Demerol pull for a patient with an expired order led to two-year suspension, upheld on appeal 1983-03-29 · Hospital / health system
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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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