Pharmacy technician drug diversion cases

114 documented cases, 2007–2026.

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 this role: 54 from the Role field, 60 from the title.

Monetary penalties stated

Median: $13,887.61
Smallest $1,000 · largest $250,000

Median of 6 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 6 of 114 records. 108 records state no dollar amount.

Custodial sentences stated

Shortest: 12 months
Longest: 120 months (10 years)

13 prison or jail terms stated in 12 of 114 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.

Drug classes involved

Opioids72
Other controlled substance28
Benzodiazepines16
Stimulants4
Anesthetics / sedatives1
No drug stated12

A record naming drugs from two classes counts in both.

States with the most records

Illinois9
Texas9
Mississippi8
Louisiana7
Maryland6
Tennessee6
Pennsylvania5
Washington5

36 states and territories in all; every state.

Settings involved

Retail pharmacy69
Hospital / health system24
Other / not classified8
No setting stated13

Other roles

Cases

Newest first · page 4 of 5, 76–100 of 114

  1. KU Hospital Pharmacy Tech Stole 483 Bags of Fentanyl 2018-12-10 · Kansas City, Kansas · Hospital / health system
  2. Arizona pharmacist and technician sentenced for diverting over 200,000 opioid tablets through two Phoenix-area pharmacies 2018-11-30 · Other / not classified
  3. Phoenix-Area Pharmacist and Technician Diverted More Than 200,000 Opioid Tablets from Two Pharmacies 2018-11-28 · Peoria / Phoenix, AZ · Other / not classified
  4. Hospital pharmacy technician diverted hydrocodone and oxycodone from a pharmacy vault through fraudulent automated dispensing transactions 2018-10 · Hospital / health system
  5. Pharmacy Technician Diverts Fentanyl at Iowa Methodist Medical Center 2018-07-10 · Des Moines, Iowa · Hospital / health system
  6. Springfield chain pharmacy technician admitted stealing thousands of hydrocodone tablets over nine months 2018-04-19 · Retail pharmacy
  7. Home-Infusion Pharmacy Tech Diluted Hospice Patients' IV Opioids 2018-02-21 · Birmingham, Alabama · Retail pharmacy
  8. Birmingham Pharmacy Technician Tampered with Opioid IV Bags Prepared for Palliative Care Patients 2018-02 · Birmingham, AL · Retail pharmacy
  9. Nevada grocery-pharmacy technician accused of diverting hydrocodone, amphetamine and oxycodone tablets from patient bottles 2017-08 · Retail pharmacy
  10. Wayne hospital pharmacy technician indicted for stealing fentanyl from operating room dispensers 2017-06 · Hospital / health system
  11. Wyoming pharmacy technician-in-training surrendered permit over controlled-substance diversion 2017-03
  12. New Mexico pharmacy technician pleaded guilty after oxycodone theft report from Carlsbad pharmacy 2016-12-20 · Retail pharmacy
  13. Carlsbad Pharmacy Technician Pleads Guilty to Stealing Oxycodone 2016-12-20 · Carlsbad, New Mexico · Retail pharmacy
  14. New Mexico pharmacy technician charged federally after 20,000-plus oxycodone tablets reported stolen 2016-09-23 · Retail pharmacy
  15. Emory Hospital Pharmacy Technicians Diverted More Than 1 Million Doses of Controlled Substances 2016-02-01 · Atlanta, GA · Hospital / health system
  16. Pharmacy technician diverted over 216,000 Norco tablets from a retail pharmacy while the pharmacist-in-charge failed to detect the theft 2015-08 · West Hills, CA · Retail pharmacy
  17. Twin Falls Pharmacy Technician Sentenced for Selling Stolen Oxycodone 2015-05-19 · Twin Falls, Idaho · Retail pharmacy
  18. Twin Falls Pharmacy Technician Sold Stolen Oxycodone and Hydromorphone Tablets from Pharmacy Stock 2015-05 · Twin Falls, ID · Retail pharmacy
  19. North Carolina Pharmacy Technician Charged in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2015) 2015 · North Carolina · Retail pharmacy
  20. Georgia Pharmacy Technician Convicted in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2015) 2015 · Georgia · Retail pharmacy
  21. Pharmacy technician admitted taking Xanax, Lortab and Luminal without payment from a national chain pharmacy 2014-10 · Baltimore, MD · Retail pharmacy
  22. Burlington pharmacy technician accused of taking thousands of hydrocodone, zolpidem and buprenorphine tablets 2014-03-11 · Retail pharmacy
  23. California retail pharmacy technician accused of conspiring with physician to divert opioids; Board decision issued 2013-07-17 · Retail pharmacy
  24. New Hampshire pharmacy technician's registration suspended after admitted hydrocodone theft and resale 2013-06 · Retail pharmacy
  25. VA Hospital Pharmacy Technician Sentenced for Stealing Oxycodone and Other Narcotics — Oregon, 2013 2013-01-31 · Roseburg, Oregon · 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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