Thad Manning, Conspiracy to Misbrand Prescription Drugs, Kentucky 2014

A shocking case of prescription drug misbranding has come to light in Pikeville, Kentucky, where a local doctor has admitted to conspiring with a pharmacy to sell mislabeled medications to unsuspecting patients.

Thad Manning, 48, a practicing physician in Pikeville, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to misbrand prescription drugs in federal court on Wednesday. Manning’s actions have left patients concerned and wondering if they have been unknowingly taking tainted medications.

According to court documents, Manning received numerous prescription drug samples from pharmaceutical companies, which he was supposed to distribute to his patients. However, instead of doing so, he allowed Marrowbone Clinic Pharmacy (later known as Marrowbone Hometown Pharmacy) to take the samples and co-mingle them with other medications in stock bottles.

The pharmacy’s actions made it impossible for patients to know whether their medication had been recalled by the FDA or the pharmaceutical companies. This misbranding has left patients at risk of taking potentially contaminated medications, which can have serious health consequences.

Manning’s actions were part of a larger investigation into prescription drug trafficking in the Pikeville area. Several individuals were charged in 2012 as a result of the investigation, including a Houston, Texas doctor who wrote unlawful prescriptions for patients from Pike County, six defendants who were distributing narcotics obtained from Marrowbone Clinic Pharmacy, a pharmacy employee who billed insurance carriers for prescriptions that were never filled, the Marrowbone Hometown Pharmacy Corporation for selling prescription drug samples, and the pharmacy manager who was convicted of narcotics trafficking and conspiracy to sell prescription drug samples.

Manning has agreed to forfeit $250,000, which represents the proceeds he received as a result of the conspiracy. He will also enter into drug rehabilitation for his addiction to hydrocodone. Manning faces a maximum of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine at his sentencing in July 2014.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in this case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Gentry. Manning’s case is a stark reminder of the dangers of prescription drug misuse and the importance of ensuring that medications are properly labeled and distributed.

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