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 7 of 24, 151–175 of 588
- Okanogan County nurse admitted diverting controlled substances; hydromorphone removal cited 2024-07 · Okanogan County, WA · Other / not classified
- Hospital pharmacy manager diverted hydromorphone, methadone and morphine from a CII safe using unused transaction types 2024-07 · Muncie, IN · Hospital / health system
- Palomar Health Pays $250,000 Over Fentanyl Diversion in Cath Lab 2024-06-03 · Escondido, California · Other / not classified
- Registered nurse charged with stealing oxycodone and hydrocodone/acetaminophen from residents at Prince George Healthcare Center 2024-06 · Georgetown, SC · Other / not classified
- Registered nurse and advanced practice nurse charged after removing hydromorphone without patient orders and admitting to diverting controlled substances from the workplace 2024-06 · Okanogan County, Washington · Other / not classified
- Physician terminated by employer for diverting fentanyl, versed and dilaudid from patients 2024-06 · Tampa, FL · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire hospital nurse anesthetist pleaded guilty after substituting saline for operating-room fentanyl 2024-06 · Hospital / health system
- Madera pharmacist pleaded guilty to dispensing over 200,000 opioid pills on forged prescriptions 2024-06 · Retail pharmacy
- ICU nurse accused of diverting patients' liquid fentanyl and replacing it with tap water at a Medford, Oregon hospital 2024-06 · Medford, OR · Hospital / health system
- Texarkana pharmacist pleads guilty to falsifying records to conceal theft of methadone and other narcotics 2024-06 · Retail pharmacy
- Long Island pharmaceutical employee sentenced to six years for stealing thousands of oxycodone pills from employer 2024-05-31
- Dodge County Hospital Nurse Diverted Oxycodone Using Automated Dispensing Cabinet Swap 2024-05-24 · Dodge County, Minnesota · Hospital / health system
- Barbourville Pharmacy Pays $215,000 Over Red-Flag Prescription Failures 2024-05-09 · Barbourville, Kentucky · Retail pharmacy
- Registered nurse sentenced to probation for stealing OxyContin from a hospital narcotics cabinet and replacing it with other medications 2024-05 · Canton, SD · Hospital / health system
- Pharmacy technician charged with taking Promethazine-Codeine syrup from pharmacy 2024-05 · King County, Washington · Retail pharmacy
- Nurse at Texas Health Hurst-Euless-Bedford diverted fentanyl, morphine, and other controlled substances from an automated dispensing cabinet 2024-05 · Bedford, TX · Other / not classified
- Clinic pharmacy assistant charged with stealing OxyContin and Oxycodone prescriptions from the clinic where she worked 2024-05 · Whitman County, Washington · Other / not classified
- Hospital Pharmacy Technician Pleaded Guilty to Tampering with Hydromorphone 2024-04-30 · Norwich, Connecticut · Hospital / health system
- Minnesota Pharmacist in Charge Pleads Guilty to Stealing Oxycodone Bottles From Inventory 2024-04-25 · Maplewood, Minnesota · Retail pharmacy
- New Jersey drug manufacturer settles claims it failed to account for oxycodone, hydrocodone and temazepam 2024-04-10 · Other / not classified
- ICU nurse sentenced for tampering with fentanyl and hydromorphone at Ardmore hospital 2024-04 · Ardmore, OK · Hospital / health system
- Arkansas nurse self-reported diverting and consuming hydrocodone from employer 2024-04 · Cabot, AR · Other / not classified
- Arkansas rehabilitation facility nurse self-reported diverting hydrocodone 2024-04 · Other / not classified
- Labor & Delivery Nurse Stole Pain Meds from 50+ New Mothers 2024-03-27 · Waterloo, Iowa · Hospital / health system
- Eastern Kentucky physician and clinic nurse sentenced for conspiracy to issue illegitimate opioid prescriptions 2024-03 · Other / not classified
← Back to page 1 · ← All drugs and drug classes · Cases by state · Filter these cases in the case database · Check your own controls with the free assessment
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.
Would your controls have caught these?
The free self-assessment scores your own controls: 8 sections, 63 weighted items, a score for each section, and a PDF you can take to your committee. No account or login.
Start the free assessment