Prescriber drug diversion cases
134 documented cases, 1997–2026.
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: 20 from the Role field, 114 from the title.
Roles counted: Physician / surgeon (124) · Dentist / oral surgery (6) · Veterinarian (4).
Monetary penalties stated
Median: $100,000
Smallest $5,000 · largest $956,709
Median of 22 amounts in US dollars (civil settlements and penalties, criminal fines, restitution, forfeiture) stated in 20 of 134 records. 114 records state no dollar amount.
Custodial sentences stated
Shortest: 12 months
Longest: 276 months (23 years)
37 prison or jail terms stated in 37 of 134 records. Probation, supervised release, home confinement and suspended terms are not counted.
Drug classes involved
| Drug class | Records |
|---|---|
| Opioids | 75 |
| Other controlled substance | 53 |
| Benzodiazepines | 10 |
| Stimulants | 9 |
| Anesthetics / sedatives | 4 |
| Anabolic steroids | 1 |
| No drug stated | 2 |
A record naming drugs from two classes counts in both.
States with the most records
| State | Records |
|---|---|
| Maryland | 22 |
| New York | 9 |
| Ohio | 9 |
| Pennsylvania | 9 |
| California | 7 |
| Michigan | 7 |
| Hawaii | 5 |
| Illinois | 4 |
36 states and territories in all; every state.
Settings involved
| Setting | Records |
|---|---|
| Other / not classified | 112 |
| Hospital / health system | 13 |
| Dental / oral surgery | 6 |
| No setting stated | 3 |
Other roles
Cases
Newest first · page 5 of 6, 101–125 of 134
- Utah Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2016) 2016 · Utah · Other / not classified
- Search warrant at Norwalk, OH physician's office over alleged prescriptions issued while physician absent 2015-02 · Norwalk, OH · Other / not classified
- Maryland Physician Sentenced in Stimulant Diversion Case (2015) 2015 · Maryland · Other / not classified
- Connecticut Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2015) 2015 · Connecticut · Other / not classified
- Physician indicted for trafficking controlled substances prescribed to friends and co-workers 2014-04 · Andover, OH · Hospital / health system
- Maryland Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2014) 2014 · Maryland · Other / not classified
- Illinois Physician Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2014) 2014 · Illinois · Other / not classified
- Iowa Physician Sentenced in Opioid Diversion Case (2014) 2014 · Iowa · Other / not classified
- Washington Physician Convicted in Opioid Diversion Case (2013) 2013 · Washington · Other / not classified
- New York Physician Sentenced in Controlled Substance Diversion Case (2013) 2013 · New York · Other / not classified
- Dentist had patients and staff fill painkiller prescriptions for his own use 2013 · Dental / oral surgery
- South Burlington physician pleaded guilty to prescription fraud after writing prescriptions under fictitious names 2012-11 · Other / not classified
- Internal medicine physician summarily suspended over chronic cocaine and opiate use 2011-11 · Baltimore, MD · Other / not classified
- Physician assistant wrote unauthorized prescriptions for controlled dangerous substances for her own personal use 2011-07 · Hagerstown, MD · Other / not classified
- Anesthesiologist admitted to repeatedly ingesting illicit substances and evading toxicology screens 2011-07 · Baltimore, MD · Other / not classified
- West Hartford physician settled civil claims over prescriptions not dispensed to named patients 2011-04-20 · Other / not classified
- New Jersey physician's license revoked for prescribing Percocet without medical justification 2010-10-12 · Other / not classified
- Anesthesiologist diverted controlled substances from his workplace for personal use 2009-06 · Other / not classified
- General practice physician accused of self-administering narcotics and writing prescriptions to family and staff without medical records 2009-02 · Bowie, MD · Other / not classified
- Gaston County general practitioner's license revoked after felony conviction for prescribing controlled substances without a legal medical purpose 2008-11-20 · Other / not classified
- A physician assistant was accused of unauthorized prescribing of Schedule II narcotics to family members 2008-02 · Annapolis, MD · Other / not classified
- Hospital anesthesiologist diverted controlled dangerous substances from medication management system and falsified patient records 2006-10 · Berlin, MD · Hospital / health system
- General practice physician summarily suspended after admitting cocaine use in violation of probation 2006-01 · Columbia, MD · Other / not classified
- Physician removed hospital supplies to administer a controlled substance to a friend and falsified test records to conceal it 2005-02 · Hospital / health system
- General practice physician summarily suspended over alleged conspiracy to distribute Ecstasy and Phentermine 2004-03 · Baltimore, MD · Other / not classified
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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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