Nurse drug diversion cases
402 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 Role field, or failing that its title, names one of these roles: 100 from the Role field, 302 from the title.
Roles counted: Registered nurse (RN) (91) · Licensed practical / vocational nurse (22) · Nurse practitioner / APRN (15) · Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) (12) · Nurse (role unspecified) (262).
Monetary penalties stated
Median: $5,500
Smallest $500 · largest $4,500,000
Median of 37 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 35 of 402 records. 367 records state no dollar amount.
Custodial sentences stated
Shortest: 3 months
Longest: 120 months (10 years)
63 prison or jail terms stated in 63 of 402 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.
Drug classes involved
| Drug class | Records |
|---|---|
| Opioids | 285 |
| Other controlled substance | 65 |
| Benzodiazepines | 14 |
| Stimulants | 8 |
| Anesthetics / sedatives | 6 |
| No drug stated | 44 |
A record naming drugs from two classes counts in both.
States with the most records
| State | Records |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 22 |
| Iowa | 18 |
| Michigan | 16 |
| Connecticut | 15 |
| Mississippi | 15 |
| Wisconsin | 15 |
| Oregon | 14 |
| New Hampshire | 11 |
52 states and territories in all; every state.
Settings involved
| Setting | Records |
|---|---|
| Hospital / health system | 159 |
| Other / not classified | 150 |
| Long-term care | 25 |
| Ambulatory surgery / OR | 9 |
| Home health / hospice | 6 |
| Fertility / reproductive | 2 |
| Retail pharmacy | 1 |
| No setting stated | 50 |
Other roles
Cases
Newest first · page 12 of 17, 276–300 of 402
- South Dakota ICU nurse's lawsuit over termination for fentanyl discrepancies rejected on appeal 2020-06-17 · Hospital / health system
- South Dakota ICU nurse fired after fentanyl accountability review; wrongful-discharge suit fails on appeal 2020-06-17 · Hospital / health system
- ICU nurse at a Sioux Falls hospital accused of diverting fentanyl, lorazepam and hydromorphone after medication records review 2020-06 · Sioux Falls, SD · Hospital / health system
- CRNA Tampered with Fentanyl Vials at Charles City Hospital 2020-05-29 · Charles City, Iowa · Hospital / health system
- VA Urgent Care Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Hydromorphone 2020-05-28 · Pineville, Louisiana · Hospital / health system
- Nurse accused of diverting fentanyl and hydromorphone at Danville hospital 2020-05 · Danville, VA · Other / not classified
- Pembina County Long-Term Care Nurse Charged With Stealing Resident Narcotics 2020-04-13 · Mountain, North Dakota · Long-term care
- Missouri Nurse's Probation Extended Over Employer Medication Diversion 2020-04 · Missouri
- Anchorage nurse practitioner charged with manslaughter and drug distribution for opioid prescriptions without office visits 2020-03 · Anchorage, AK · Other / not classified
- Iowa Nursing Home Nurse Sentenced for Stealing Patients' Pain Medication 2020-01-28 · Manchester, Iowa · Long-term care
- Wyoming Nurse Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Wyoming · Other / not classified
- Washington Nurse Faces License Action Over Controlled Substance Diversion (2020) 2020 · Washington · Other / not classified
- Virginia Nurse License Suspended Over Roanoke-Area Nursing Home Opioid Diversion 2020 · Roanoke and Lynchburg, Virginia · Other / not classified
- Pennsylvania Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Pennsylvania · Other / not classified
- Ohio Nurse Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Ohio · Other / not classified
- Connecticut Nurse Convicted in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2020) 2020 · Connecticut · Other / not classified
- Haverhill Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Hospice Patient's Morphine 2019-12-18 · Amesbury, Massachusetts · Long-term care
- Jacksonville Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Injectable Painkillers 2019-12-06 · Jacksonville, Florida · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse alleged to have diverted controlled substances from a rehabilitation facility in Burlington 2019-12 · Burlington, WI · Other / not classified
- ICU Nurse Sentenced for Stealing Fentanyl at Parker Adventist Hospital 2019-11-13 · Parker, Colorado · Hospital / health system
- Pain Clinic Nurse Accused of Replacing Stolen Fentanyl Vials 2019-10-31 · Greenville, MI · Other / not classified
- Magoffin County Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Hospital Medication 2019-10-30 · Salyersville, Kentucky · Hospital / health system
- St. Vincent Healthcare Nurse Swapped Patient's Pain Pills for Acetaminophen 2019-10-29 · Billings, Montana · Other / not classified
- St. Francis Hospital Nurse Turned Off Infusion Pumps to Divert Narcotics 2019-08-14 · Hartford, CT · Hospital / health system
- Nursing Facility LPN Took Six Patients' Oxycodone 2019-08-14 · Glastonbury, CT · Long-term care
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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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