A Clinton county pharmacist has pleaded guilty to charges of drug distribution, according to an announcement yesterday from the U.S. District Attorney’s office.
Authorities say Kenton L. Shearer of Albany either filled, or let his employees fill, illegal prescriptions that contained Hydrocodone and Alprazolam between 2011 to 2015.
Officials claim Shearer “knew that the prescriptions
were not written for a legitimate medical purpose,” knew his
client “was doctor shopping to obtain prescriptions for the same
medications from multiple doctors” and that he “filled prescriptions
early on multiple occasions.”
The Washington Post reported earlier this month that Shearer
Drug in Albany “procured more opioid pills on a per capita basis per
county than any other retail pharmacy in the United States” from 2006 to
2012.
From 2006 to 2012, the Post reported, the pharmacy bought 6.8 million pills, or enough for each person in Clinton County to get 96 pills. In 2012, it purchased more than 1 million pills.
Shearer has pleaded guilty to three counts of illegal
distribution of a controlled substance. Shearer faces 15 months in
federal prison and three years of supervised release. He is set to
be sentenced May 14th in Bowling Green. Shearer
also agreed to pay a Two Hundred thousand dollar money judgment before his
sentencing date.