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 16 of 17, 376–400 of 402
- Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Siphoning Dilaudid from Patients' IV Bags — Minnesota, 2011 2011-06-29 · Coon Rapids, Minnesota · Hospital / health system
- Manhattan, Kansas registered nurse pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and obstruction 2011-06-13 · Other / not classified
- Vermont psychiatric-facility nurse accused of diverting narcotics; consent order later contested through state supreme court 2011-04 · Other / not classified
- Nursing Home Nurse Sentenced for Diluting Hospice Patients' Morphine with Tap Water — Washington, 2011 2011-03-07 · Snohomish, Washington · Long-term care
- Registered nurse signed out extra OxyContin, Percocet, and oxycodone not given to residents and forged a narcotic sheet 2011-01 · Long-term care
- Former nurse pleads guilty to stealing hydromorphone from Mayo Regional Hospital 2010-11 · Dover-Foxcroft, ME · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse had Schedule II drugs removed from an automated dispensing cabinet and unaccounted for 2010-01 · Other / not classified
- Nurse practitioner self-administered controlled substances taken from office stock 2010-01 · Other / not classified
- Delaware nurse used a physician's DEA number to obtain Xanax for herself; licenses later permanently revoked 2009-02-12 · Other / not classified
- Vermont-licensed nurse charged over diversion of opioids prescribed to a New Hampshire nursing home resident 2008-01-30 · Other / not classified
- Registered nurse diverted a Schedule II controlled substance from the workplace 2007-06 · Other / not classified
- Pennsylvania practical nurse's license revoked for misappropriating drugs 2007-05-10 · Other / not classified
- Pennsylvania nurse disciplined for misappropriation and non-medical use of a controlled substance 2007-05-08 · Other / not classified
- Kansas practical nurse convicted of obtaining prescription drug by fraud; license reinstated under stayed suspension 2006-01-04 · Other / not classified
- Illinois hospital bacteremia outbreak linked to nurse drug diversion 2006 · Hospital / health system
- Nursing home nurse took Percocet from a resident's medication supply for personal use 2005-06 · Kennebunk, ME · Other / not classified
- Registered nurse diverted morphine and fentanyl from Children's Hospital of Wisconsin stock or waste 2004-11 · Milwaukee County, Wisconsin · Hospital / health system
- Rochester nurse admitted diverting morphine and hydromorphone through fraudulent dispensing-cabinet entries 2001-11-09
- Children's Wisconsin nurse diverted morphine and fentanyl for self-administration 2000 · Other / not classified
- New York practical nurse surrendered license after admitting diversion of Fioricet for personal use 1999-11-05 · Other / not classified
- Registered nurse misappropriated controlled substances at Mountainside Hospital 1995-09 · Hospital / health system
- Arkansas hospital nurse's license suspended three years after narcotics cabinet tampering and Demerol concerns 1993-08-17 · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse misappropriated controlled substances at Montclair Community Hospital 1991-10 · Hospital / health system
- University of Utah Medical Center nurse accused of diverting Percocet by substituting Tylenol 1990-06 · Hospital / health system
- Vermont hospital nurse admitted diverting patient drugs; civil suit tested confidentiality of board investigative files 1990-01 · 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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