TOPEKA — A Tennessee pharmacist has pleaded guilty to substituting a cheaper drug imported from China for the iron sucrose that the Federal Drug Administration has approved for kidney dialysis patients. US Attorney Barry Grissom said the misbranded drug was administered to kidney dialysis patients in Kansas. Robert Harshbarger, Jr., of Kingsport, TN., doing business as American Inhalation Medication Specialists, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing a misbranded drug and one count of health care fraud. He admitted that as a result of the fraud, patients treated by Kansas Dialysis Services, received iron sucrose that had not been certified by the FDA to meet quality and safety standards. Grissom said although there were no reports of harm to patients, the crime put patients at risk. Harshbarger admitted that health care benefit programs paid nearly $850,000 for the FDA-approved iron sucrose drug Venofer. However, he bought cheaper iron sucrose from Chinese chemical companies. Sentencing is November 4. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of four years in federal prison.
Updated 5/22/13 @ 7:55 am
