Federal authorities yesterday charged a Kaua'i physician with prescribing controlled substances without conducting physical examinations or establishing legitimate doctor-patient relationships.

In announcing charges against Dr. Harold C. Spear III of Hanapepe, U.S. Attorney for Hawai'i Ed Kubo said, "by prescribing large amounts of those highly addictive drugs to others for compensation, Spear stopped becoming a medical doctor and simply became a common dope dealer."

If convicted, Spear could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. Arrested Friday at his Hanapepe clinic, Spear made his initial appearance yesterday before Magistrate Leslie Kobayashi in Honolulu.

He is being held at the Federal Detention Center.

An Alabama investigation into illegal dispensing of prescriptions by William & Mary Pharmacy of Gardendale, Ala., identified Spear as a suspect in March 2006. W&MP ran a Web site and hired physicians to write prescriptions for controlled substances, which W&MP filled and delivered.

Kubo said the Hawai'i office opened its investigation in June 2006 and that undercover agents in California placed telephone orders of 120 Spradling Hydro-Guaifenesin (a cough suppressant) and also Viagra with Spear. They were charged $175 for an "office visit" and the prescription was placed through Suntree Pharmacy in Melbourne, Fla.

The "dial-a-doc" business operated by Spear conducted telephone consultations and prescribed controlled substances to people without the benefit of face-to-face medical examination, Kubo said.

Authorities also determined Spear allowed assistants with no medical training or education to complete pre-signed blank prescriptions to refill orders for customers, Kubo said.

The investigation also found Spear issued a prescription for nearly 2,000 milligrams of Oxycontin and 600 milligrams of Methadone to a patient in April 2005 without the benefit of a medical examination.

"By not tending to his patients in a professional manner, Spear got greedy and wanted to do as little work as he could to generate the most amount of money," Kubo said. "In the process, he risked the health and lives of his patients."

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.