Opioid diversion cases
655 documented cases, 1983–2026.
Figures are derived from the 1081 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: $30,999
Smallest $400 · largest $4,500,000
Median of 80 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 70 of 655 records. 585 records state no dollar amount.
Custodial sentences stated
Shortest: 1 month
Longest: 480 months (40 years)
169 prison or jail terms stated in 160 of 655 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.
Roles named in the records
| Role | Records |
|---|---|
| Nurse (role unspecified) | 180 |
| Physician / surgeon | 144 |
| Not stated in the record or its title | 99 |
| Pharmacist | 80 |
| Pharmacy technician | 58 |
| Registered nurse (RN) | 37 |
| Licensed practical / vocational nurse | 10 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | 10 |
| Nurse practitioner / APRN | 10 |
| Paramedic / EMT | 9 |
| Dentist / oral surgery | 7 |
| Veterinarian | 5 |
| Nurse aide / assistant | 3 |
| Surgical / OR technician | 3 |
From the Role field (93) or, where the record has none, the case title (463).
States with the most records
| State | Records |
|---|---|
| New York | 33 |
| Florida | 30 |
| Massachusetts | 27 |
| Pennsylvania | 27 |
| California | 25 |
| Michigan | 24 |
| Maryland | 23 |
| Texas | 22 |
52 states and territories in all; every state.
Settings involved
| Setting | Records |
|---|---|
| Other / not classified | 305 |
| Hospital / health system | 178 |
| Retail pharmacy | 117 |
| Long-term care | 18 |
| Dental / oral surgery | 9 |
| Ambulatory surgery / OR | 7 |
| Emergency services / EMS | 6 |
| Home health / hospice | 5 |
| Fertility / reproductive | 2 |
| No setting stated | 8 |
Drugs named
| Drug | Records |
|---|---|
| oxycodone | 317 |
| hydrocodone | 197 |
| fentanyl | 179 |
| hydromorphone | 107 |
| morphine | 93 |
| alprazolam | 50 |
| tramadol | 30 |
| amphetamine | 29 |
| methadone | 28 |
| codeine | 24 |
| buprenorphine | 14 |
| lorazepam | 11 |
| meperidine | 11 |
| midazolam | 9 |
| testosterone | 5 |
| ketamine | 4 |
| methylphenidate | 4 |
| propofol | 4 |
| sufentanil | 2 |
| phenobarbital | 1 |
A record naming two drugs counts under both.
Other drugs and classes
Cases
Newest first · page 27 of 27, 651–655 of 655
- 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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