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 9 of 24, 201–225 of 588
- Hospital registered nurse's license revoked after fentanyl tampering and diversion 2023-12 · Janesville, WI · Hospital / health system
- Norfolk Children's Hospital Pays Civil Penalty for Unregistered Warehouse Fentanyl Gap 2023-11-16 · Norfolk, Virginia · Hospital / health system
- Boston-Area ER Nurse Sentenced for 412 Unauthorized Opioid Withdrawals 2023-11-15 · Boston, Massachusetts · Hospital / health system
- Alabama Pharmacist Sentenced for Diverting Tens of Thousands of Oxycodone Pills from His Own Pharmacy 2023-11-03 · Gadsden, Alabama · Retail pharmacy
- Iowa Nurse Pleads Guilty to Diverting Fentanyl from Waterloo Hospital via False Wasting 2023-10-11 · Waterloo, Iowa · Hospital / health system
- Jacksonville Surgical Center Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Hydromorphone 2023-10-03 · Jacksonville, Florida · Other / not classified
- VA nurse pleaded guilty to stealing fentanyl, morphine and hydromorphone 2023-10 · Aurora, CO · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse diverted and consumed Oxycodone on-shift in cardiac surgery unit 2023-10 · Hospital / health system
- Idaho Falls assisted living employee entered Alford plea to financial card charge after residents' hydrocodone was allegedly swapped for acetaminophen 2023-10 · Other / not classified
- Traveling nurse fired from Little Rock hospital after positive fentanyl test; Arkansas board ordered cease and desist 2023-10 · Hospital / health system
- Agency nurse accused of diverting fentanyl at Watertown hospital; interim suspension 2023-10 · Watertown, WI · Hospital / health system
- Janesville Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl Vials 2023-09-14 · Janesville, Wisconsin · Hospital / health system
- Central Illinois pharmacy technician sentenced to 30 months for diverting hydrocodone and other controlled substances 2023-09-13 · Retail pharmacy
- Registered nurse convicted of tampering with fentanyl citrate vials and obtaining controlled substance by fraud at Chamberlain hospital 2023-09 · Chamberlain, SD · Hospital / health system
- Pharmacist charged with diverting hydrocodone/APAP tablets from a West Virginia pharmacy 2023-09 · Stonewood, WV · Retail pharmacy
- ICU nurse at Mercy Hospital in Ardmore pleaded guilty to stealing fentanyl and hydromorphone and swapping pain medication with tap water 2023-09 · Ardmore, OK · Hospital / health system
- Hospital nurse tampered with fentanyl vial, replacing drug with saline 2023-09 · Pierre, SD · Hospital / health system
- Sioux City Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Opioids from Hospital Employer 2023-08-31 · Sioux City, Iowa · Hospital / health system
- Ardmore ICU Nurse Pleads Guilty to Replacing Patients' Pain Medication With Tap Water 2023-08-31 · Ardmore, Oklahoma · Hospital / health system
- Cumberland, Maryland Pharmacy Reaches Consent Decree Over Fraudulent Opioid Prescriptions 2023-07-06 · Cumberland, Maryland · Retail pharmacy
- Pharmacist-in-charge diverted hydrocodone and tramadol powder from a pharmacy controlled-substance safe; Maryland license revoked 2023-07 · Retail pharmacy
- Surgery Center RN Sentenced for Swapping Fentanyl for Saline in ~450 Vials 2023-06-27 · Jensen Beach, Florida · Other / not classified
- Wilmington family-medicine physician paid $170,000 to resolve allegations of unlawful opioid prescribing 2023-06-23 · Other / not classified
- New Hampshire hospital paid $2 million to settle DEA record-keeping allegations after fentanyl diversion 2023-06-22 · Hospital / health system
- Cheshire Medical Center Pays $2 Million After Nurse Stole Fentanyl IV Bags 2023-06-22 · Keene, New Hampshire · 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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