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 2 of 17, 26–50 of 402
- Michigan Registered Nurse Summarily Suspended Over Grass Lake Drug Diversion 2026-02-27 · Grass Lake, Michigan
- Cheshire APRN Illegally Distributed Amphetamines and Benzodiazepines 2026-02-03 · Cheshire, Connecticut · Other / not classified
- Registered nurse alleged to have obtained controlled substances from a Texas pharmacy using unauthorized prescriptions and co-worker prescriber numbers 2026-02 · Retail pharmacy
- Nurse charged with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit and wasting narcotics at Community North 2026-02 · Other / not classified
- Hospital nurse found with Dilaudid and Hydrocodone waste in pocket from work 2026-02 · Hospital / health system
- ER charge nurse self-reported diverting medication wastes for personal use at Ascension St. Vincent Anderson 2026-02 · Anderson, IN · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- Michigan Registered Nurse Fined and Probated Over Southgate Drug Diversion 2026-01-15 · Southgate, Michigan
- Former Boston-Area ICU Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Versed from Intubated Patient 2026-01-15 · Needham, Massachusetts · Hospital / health system
- Vermont Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Vermont · Hospital / health system
- Utah Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Utah · Other / not classified
- South Carolina Nurse Charged in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · South Carolina · Other / not classified
- Puerto Rico Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Puerto Rico · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- Oregon Nurse Charged in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Oregon · Other / not classified
- Nebraska Nurse Faces License Action Over Controlled Substance Diversion (2026) 2026 · Nebraska · Home health / hospice
- North Carolina Nurse Charged in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · North Carolina · Other / not classified
- Maryland Nurse Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Maryland · Other / not classified
- Kansas Nurse Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2026) 2026 · Kansas · Other / not classified
- Appleton Nurse Practitioner Sentenced for Unlawful Opioid Prescribing Scheme 2025-12-18 · Appleton, Wisconsin
- Nursing Director Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Fentanyl at Montana Health Center 2025-12-16 · Jordan, Montana · Other / not classified
- Delaware Medical Biller Indicted for Diverting Opioids Using Stolen Provider Identities 2025-12-15 · Delaware
- New Hampshire emergency department nurse pleaded guilty after keeping partial opioid doses 2025-12 · Hospital / health system
- Nevada registered nurse surrendered license over controlled-substance use and drug diversion 2025-12
- Nevada nurse anesthetist placed on probation for drug diversion 2025-12
- Nurse Anesthetist Diverted Fentanyl Waste for Months While AI Surveillance Missed It (Erlanger Baroness) 2025-12 · Chattanooga, Tennessee · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- Emergency Room Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl Vials at Michigan Hospital 2025-11-25 · Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan · Hospital / health system
← Back to page 1 · ← All roles · Cases by state · 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