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 9 of 17, 201–225 of 402
- Iowa Nurse Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2023) 2023 · Iowa · Other / not classified
- Central Pennsylvania hospital nurse charged with diverting morphine from an emergency department 2022-12-13 · Hospital / health system
- Iowa Nurse Pleads Guilty to Diverting Fentanyl From Elderly Patients' IV Pumps 2022-11-21 · Clear Lake, Iowa · Other / not classified
- Alaska registered nurse surrendered license over diversion and substance-abuse allegations 2022-11-01
- Colorado Nurse Sentenced Over ICU Fentanyl Drip Diversion 2022-11 · Denver, Colorado · Hospital / health system
- DC nurse diverted fentanyl from two Washington hospitals 2022-10-27 · Washington, DC · Hospital / health system
- St. Louis County Hospital Nurse Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Fentanyl 2022-10-27 · St. Louis County, Missouri · Hospital / health system
- Traveling Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Opioids at Four Montana Facilities 2022-10-13 · Anaconda, Montana · Hospital / health system
- Former Nurse Pleads Guilty to Diverting Opioids From Two Boston-Area Hospitals 2022-10-04 · Boston, Massachusetts · Hospital / health system
- Registered nurse diverted oxycodone, hydrocodone/acetaminophen, and hydromorphone from patients at a Madison medical center 2022-10 · Madison, WI · Hospital / health system
- Pain clinic nurse practitioner convicted of diverting opioids to a family member using other patients' names 2022-10 · Eagle River, AK · Other / not classified
- Missouri nurse diverted fentanyl at two hospitals after being fired for the first diversion 2022-10 · Hospital / health system
- Hilo Hospital Nurse Charged With Stealing Fentanyl 2022-09-23 · Hilo, Hawaii · Hospital / health system
- Connecticut Outpatient Clinic Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Fentanyl Vials 2022-09-22 · Hartford, Connecticut · Ambulatory surgery / OR
- Butte Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Hydromorphone Cartridges 2022-09-08 · Butte, Montana · Hospital / health system
- Oklahoma nursing home LPN pleaded guilty to larceny of a patient's Schedule II medication 2022-09 · Long-term care
- Detroit Hospital Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering With Critical Care Patients' Hydromorphone 2022-08-30 · Detroit, Michigan · Hospital / health system
- Hospice nurse admitted diverting oxycodone and Oxycontin from two patients 2022-08 · Watertown, WI · Home health / hospice
- Missouri Nurse License Revoked Over Hospital Opioid Diversion and Unauthorized Badge Access 2022-07-05 · St. Louis, Missouri · Hospital / health system
- Eastern Idaho nurse practitioner consented to civil judgment over hydrocodone prescriptions written for a third party 2022-06-14 · Other / not classified
- North Carolina Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Tampering With Hydromorphone Vials 2022-06-01 · Winston-Salem, North Carolina · Hospital / health system
- Nursing home licensed practical nurse convicted of diverting 638 narcotics pills from residents 2022-06 · Georgiana, AL · Long-term care
- Emergency room nurse sentenced to probation for diverting fentanyl from a Lincoln hospital pharmacy 2022-06 · Lincoln, NE · Other / not classified
- York, Pennsylvania Personal Care Home Nurse Sentenced for Stealing a Hospice Patient's Oxycodone 2022-05-23 · York, Pennsylvania · Other / not classified
- Missoula Hospital Nurse Sentenced for Diverting Fentanyl and Hydromorphone 2022-04-26 · Missoula, Montana · 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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