Pharmacy employee indicted for illegally dispensing Hydrocodone

A Corbin man was indicted Friday in Knox County on charges that he illegally dispensed Hydrocodone on two different occasions while working at Sav-Rite Pharmacy in Corbin in 2013.

Jeff Holmes was indicted on the class D felony charges following an investigation by the Kentucky Office of Inspector General.
According to the indictment, Holmes is accused of illegally dispensing the drugs on Aug. 3, 2013 and again on Sept. 3, 2013, knowing that he did not have the legal authority to do so.

Under Kentucky Law, only a licensed pharmacist or other individual licensed under the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy to dispense drugs may do so.

Joey Gregory with Sav-Rite Pharmacy said he couldn’t comment on the case.

According to Holmes’ Facebook page, he is now working at Wynn Express Pharmacy in Whitley City.

Another witness listed in the indictment is Corbin physician, Dr. Nikhil Parulekar.

Parulekar’s medical license was suspended in 2014 following investigation into an anonymous grievence that he was writing prescriptions for controlled substances outside of his medical practice environment and using the prescriptions for recreational use.

During an interview with KBML Medical Investigator Billy Madden at Parulekar’s home in February, Madden noted that Parulekar had red, glassy eyes, dry mouth, runny nose and acted evasive and paranoid and appeared intoxicated.

During a traffic stop conducted by Corbin Police later that month, officers reported finding two small baggies of prescription medication, later identified as Oxycodone and Adderall

Officials at the Knox Circuit Clerk’s Office said Holmes failed to appear in court Friday for the return of indictments. Judge Greg Lay issued a bench warrant for Holmes’ arrest and set the case for a status hearing on February 6.

If convicted of the charges, Holmes faces one to five years in prison on each count.