Pubdate: Mon, 4 Jan 2010
Source: Paragould Daily Press (AR)
Copyright: 2010 Paragould Daily Press
Contact:  http://www.paragoulddailypress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3239
Author: Ashley Slayton

ARKANSAS TAKES DRUG WAR ON-LINE

In 2008 the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, named
methamphetamine Arkansas' "primary drug of concern," due to the state's
rural landscape and widespread availability of ingredients, including
pseudoephedrine.

In 2005 the Federal Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act placed limits
on the amount of pseudoephedrine and phenylpropanolamine that
individuals could purchase over the counter and required pharmacies to
keep written or electronic logs of such purchases.

It wasn't until May 2008 that pharmacies in Arkansas were required to
keep electronic logs of individual's purchases that could be traced
both locally and across state lines. Leadsonlabs.com, an online
investigative service that tracks purchases of methamphetamine
ingredients using a picture ID, allows pharmacies to view purchases
within a 24 hours and 30-day periods within the state and
nation-wide.

Simply by scanning a driver's license, a pharmacist or technician can
see how much of which ingredients an individual has purchased and turn
them away if necessary, making it difficult for drug dealers and users
to buy large quantities at any one time. The same information is also
made available to local law enforcement to track purchases and
investigate potential crimes. State-specific sale logs can also be
created and used to better target methamphetamine production.

Vicki Rogers, a pharmacy technician at Corner Drug Pharmacy said that
the Web-based tracking method is more effective than using paper logs.
"If you sell it (pseudoephedrine), then you have to do this," she
said, adding that pharmacists and technicians can refuse to sell the
drug in any form for any reason, even if the limits have not been met.

According to leadsonlabs.com news release, Attorney General Dustin
McDaniel reported that the number of methamphetamine labs in Arkansas
has been reduced by about 85 percent since the law went into effect in
2008. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake