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 8 of 24, 176–200 of 588
- Former Scripps Encinitas anesthesiologist placed on seven-year probation for taking and self-administering propofol and opioids 2024-03 · Hospital / health system
- Mississippi pharmacy technician pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining hydrocodone from pharmacy inventory 2024-01-30 · Retail pharmacy
- Valley Center Veterinary Clinic Pays $125,000 Over Controlled-Substance Mishandling 2024-01-17 · Valley Center, California · Other / not classified
- Hospital nurse anesthetist accused of diverting fentanyl and propofol intended for surgical patients 2024-01 · Las Vegas, NM · Hospital / health system
- Hospice Nurse Stole Morphine from Dying Patient, Replaced with Cranberry Juice 2024-01 · Clifton, Texas · Home health / hospice
- Washington Pharmacy Technician Faces License Action Over Opioid Diversion (2024, case 2) 2024 · Washington · Retail pharmacy
- Washington Pharmacy Technician Faces License Action Over Opioid Diversion (2024) 2024 · Washington · Retail pharmacy
- Washington Health Care Worker Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Washington · Other / not classified
- Utah Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Utah · Other / not classified
- Texas Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Texas · Other / not classified
- South Dakota Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · South Dakota · Other / not classified
- Pennsylvania Prescriber Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Pennsylvania · Other / not classified
- Oregon Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Oregon · Other / not classified
- Oklahoma Physician Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Oklahoma · Hospital / health system
- Ohio Pharmacist Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Ohio · Other / not classified
- Ohio Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Ohio · Other / not classified
- Ohio Nurse Named in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Ohio · Other / not classified
- New York Health Care Worker Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · New York · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire Nurse Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · New Hampshire · Other / not classified
- Nebraska Nurse Faces License Action Over Opioid Diversion (2024) 2024 · Nebraska · Other / not classified
- Mississippi Pharmacy Technician Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Mississippi · Retail pharmacy
- Minnesota Nurse Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Minnesota · Home health / hospice
- Massachusetts Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Massachusetts · Other / not classified
- Kentucky Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Kentucky · Other / not classified
- Kansas Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2024) 2024 · Kansas · 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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