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 3 of 17, 51–75 of 402
- Anchorage Nurse Practitioner Sentenced for Prescribing Opioids Without Medical Purpose 2025-11-14 · Anchorage, Alaska
- Massachusetts Hospice Nurse Indicted for Swapping Dementia Patient's Oxycodone with Household Cleaner 2025-11-02 · Amesbury, Massachusetts · Long-term care
- Nurse anesthetist at a Chattanooga hospital admitted diverting leftover fentanyl from surgeries, state consent order says 2025-11 · Chattanooga, TN · Hospital / health system
- Licensed practical nurse accused of stealing oxycodone from a resident at Simpsonville Post Acute 2025-10 · Simpsonville, SC · Other / not classified
- Yale New Haven Hospital nurse sentenced to federal prison for lorazepam tampering 2025-10 · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse stole fentanyl vials at work and altered medication logs to conceal theft 2025-09 · Other / not classified
- Michigan Practical Nurse Fined and Probated Over Gladstone Drug Diversion 2025-08-20 · Gladstone, Michigan
- Illinois hospital nurse fired over suspected opioid diversion loses federal discrimination appeal 2025-08-14 · Hospital / health system
- Stamford Nurse Tampered with Hydromorphone and Fentanyl Vials 2025-08-12 · Stamford, Connecticut · Other / not classified
- Lakeland Nurse Sentenced to 5+ Years for Stealing Fentanyl at Five Tampa Bay Hospitals 2025-08-08 · Lakeland, Florida · Hospital / health system
- Traveling Nurse Diverted Hydromorphone from Beckley Hospital Using Patients' Health Information 2025-07-03 · Beckley, WV · Hospital / health system
- Travel Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Hydromorphone at West Virginia Hospital 2025-07-03 · Beckley, West Virginia · Hospital / health system
- Travel nurse at Beckley hospital diverted hydromorphone, sentenced to five years 2025-07 · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse accused of obtaining controlled substance by fraud from resident's supply at North Hills Lifecare and Rehab 2025-07 · Fort Smith, AR · Other / not classified
- Registered nurse diverted and abused controlled substances from places of employment 2025-06 · Other / not classified
- Oklahoma hospital night-shift nurse disciplined after morphine waste questioned and patient reported no dose 2025-05-20 · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse obtained Vyvanse from workplace without authorization and self-administered 2025-05 · Other / not classified
- Detroit-area emergency room nurse pleads guilty to tampering with fentanyl vials 2025-05 · Hospital / health system
- Michigan Registered Nurse Summarily Suspended Over Canton Drug Diversion 2025-04-16 · Canton, Michigan
- Michigan Registered Nurse Summarily Suspended Over Chesaning Drug Diversion 2025-04-15 · Chesaning, Michigan
- Traveling Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Morphine at Massachusetts Rehabilitation Facility 2025-04-04 · Danvers, Massachusetts · Other / not classified
- Nurse Anesthetist Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl from ~50 Patients 2025-04-02 · Dubuque, Iowa · Hospital / health system
- Nevada registered nurse reprimanded for drug diversion in spring 2025 board actions 2025-04
- Nebraska Nurse Charged Over Surgery Center Propofol and Fentanyl Theft 2025-04 · North Platte, Nebraska · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- Michigan Nurse Practitioner Summarily Suspended Over Bay City Drug Diversion 2025-03-28 · Bay City, Michigan
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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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