NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- The owner and director of compliance of an Indiana compounding pharmacy were charged Thursday after the company distributed over- and under-potent drugs, prosecutors allege.
The case involves Pharmakon, a company that compounded drugs at a facility in Noblesville, Indiana.
Authorities believe the company's director of compliance, Caprice R. Bearden, received about 70 test failure notices, meaning the drugs were under- or over-potent, U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler said in a press conference Thursday.
“These defendants put greed and the reputation of their company ahead of the health and safety of our most innocent victims,” said Minkler. “Their actions put lives in danger and they will be held accountable.”
Bearden went to Paul J. Elmer, the company's owner and a licensed pharmacist, who decided that Pharmakon shouldn't contact any people or hospitals about the drugs.
Authorities say Pharmakon distributed over-potent morphine sulfate, an opioid used for pain relief, to a hospitals in Indiana and Illinois. Three infants in Indiana received the morphine, which was 25 times the strength indicated on the label. One infant had to be taken to a children's hospital by helicopter.
Elmer, 64 and Bearden, 62 face one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, three counts of distributing an adulterated drug in interstate commerce and six counts of adulterating drugs while held for sale after shipment of a drug component in interstate commerce.
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Watch video of U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler announce the charges in the video player below:
