Pharmacist to Plead Guilty
The attorney for Doug Albers, a Kansas pharmacist accused of participating in a nationwide scheme to distribute and sell fake Lipitor and other drugs, announced that his client will plead guilty tomorrow to charges that he bought the drug Neupogen, used to increase white blood cells, through unlicensed brokers and that he distributed counterfeit drugs. The government will drop charges against Albers and his company, Albers Medical Distributors Inc., relating to the sale of counterfeit Lipitor.
Albers, his company and about a dozen others were indicted in August 2005 for conspiring to sell $42 million in counterfeit, stolen or illegally imported drugs, including fake Lipitor manufactured in Costa Rica.
Under the plea agreement, Albers can be sentenced for up to three years on each of two counts and fined up to $500,000. He has agreed to give up his pharmacist's license. Albers Medical Distributors will pay a civil forfeiture fine of $500,000.