A pair of Colorado healthcare professionals, formerly employed by Intermountain Health, lost their licenses after state board investigations found they had funneled medications from patients in a practice known as drug diversion.

According to documents obtained by The Denver Gazette from the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy, Scott Jacob Swallen — a licensed pharmacist since 2014 — was implicated in the diversion of 40 Vyvanse (40 mg) capsules from Intermountain Health facilities.

Vyvanse is a stimulant prescribed for ADHD, similar in use to Adderall but with a different chemical composition. According to the American Addiction Centers, Vyvanse is often abused for its stimulant effects, including euphoria, cognitive enhancement, weight loss and memory improvement.

In a Non-Disciplinary Interim Cessation of Practice Agreement, Swallen denied violating the Pharmacists, Pharmacy Businesses, and Pharmaceuticals Act —  but he acknowledged taking the medication and agreed to immediately stop practicing.

While this was not labeled as a formal disciplinary action, Swallen can no longer work as a pharmacist unless the board decides to reinstate his license in the future. According to an official from Intermountain Health, Swallen is no longer employed by the company.

A separate case from the Colorado State Board of Nursing revealed that Shelbi K. Wolken, a certified nurse aide at Intermountain Health, was found to have diverted opioids more than 100 times between July 2023 and July 2024.

Documents revealed that Wolken used her position at Saint Joseph Hospital, Lutheran Hospital, and Good Samaritan Hospital to steal opioid prescriptions intended for patients being discharged. The specific drugs involved were not mentioned by name in the documents.

Using evidence gathered from surveillance footage, pharmacy transaction records and patient complaints, investigators discovered that Wolken would pick up opioid prescriptions meant for patients, take the medication for herself, and refill the bottles with over-the-counter drugs before delivering them back to patients​, documents outlined. In her response to the state board, Wolken claimed her actions were “motivated by an addiction to controlled substances.​”

On Dec. 20, the Colorado State Board of Nursing issued an emergency summary suspension of Wolken’s certification, citing an immediate risk to public safety. On Jan. 3, her certification was formally revoked, with the board citing violations of the Nurse and Nurse Aide Practice Act, including misuse of controlled substances, patient endangerment, and failure to respond to formal complaints​. Like Swallen, Wolken is no longer employed by Intermountain Health.

The Denver Gazette reached out to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Rocky Mountain Field Division regarding whether there were any active criminal investigations regarding these findings by the state boards, but they declined comment, citing DEA and Department of Justice policies.

Based in Salt Lake City, Intermountain serves patients at 34 hospitals and 400 clinics across six states in the Rocky Mountain region, including Colorado. The company absorbed Colorado-based SCL Health via a merger in 2022.

“Our commitment to the safety and well-being of our patients and caregivers is unwavering,” an Intermountain Health representative said in a statement to The Denver Gazette. “We take the issue of drug diversion — when medication is taken for use by someone other than whom it is prescribed — with the utmost seriousness. We have instituted rigorous controls to detect this type of behavior.”

Intermountain Health stated that suspected cases of drug diversion result in immediate suspension and restricted access while an internal investigation is conducted. The organization also said that it reports such incidents to law enforcement and regulatory agencies.

In Wolken and Swallen’s cases, the company said its internal monitoring systems detected misconduct, leading to their suspension, termination and official reports to authorities.

The company did not respond to a question regarding whether there were active legal investigations regarding the findings from Colorado state boards.

What is drug diversion?

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), drug diversion occurs when a medication is taken for use by someone other than whom it is prescribed or for an indication other than what is prescribed. In a health care setting, this can involve staff, patients, or visitors, who take medication for themselves, or someone they know, or sell to others. Additionally, tampering (altering or substituting) with medication can be a method of diversion.

Health care professionals who divert medications put patients at risk either because they care for patients while impaired or because needles and injectable medications are contaminated with bacteria, bloodborne pathogens, or other organisms during the diversion process, according to CPDHE.

The Opioid Crisis in Colorado

As previously reported by The Denver Gazette, nearly 108,000 people died from drug overdose in 2022, and approximately 82,000 of those deaths involved opioids — around 76% — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The same CDC report, which is the most recent data released, shows that 1,811 drug overdose deaths occurred in Colorado in 2022, or a rate of 29.8 deaths per 100,000 residents.

At the local level, Denver saw a record 522 overdose deaths in 2023, the highest in a century, with fentanyl playing a major role in 40% of cases. The crisis has disproportionately impacted the city’s homeless population, who accounted for 38% of overdose deaths, and experts warn that the growing prevalence of polydrug use — often fentanyl mixed with methamphetamine — has made overdoses even deadlier.

Last month, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, along with 14 other states, secured a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family over their role in fueling the opioid crisis, with Colorado set to receive $81 million to fund addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery programs.