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 Meth Crackdown in North Little Rock Posted on 7/17/2006 8:50:45 PM
North Little Rock passed an ordinance asking pharmacies to install computer software that tracks the sale of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in meth. It’s the latest tool in the battle against those making methamphetamine. It's an update to a story FOX16 was first to bring you.
At the time, following the new law was only on a voluntary basis. Every pharmacy in the city hopped on board except Wal-Mart, according to city officials. Now North Little Rock is making the software mandatory.
Currently, Arkansas requires all pseudoephedrine products be kept behind the counter. In an effort to limit the amount drug dealers can get their hands on, the state limits the amount people can buy. North Little Rock city officials saw an easy loophole. There was no real way to know if the person buying the drug didn't already buy the legal limit from another store down the street.
Right now, pharmacies fill out paper work to keep track of how much someone buys. But, there is no way to real way to know what a person had bought without reading every page of every booklet in every store. Now you simply scan the product, swipe a driver’s license, and upload the info to the web. Instantaneously, every pharmacy in the city can see how much pseudoephedrine has been purchased in the last 30 days.
Damone Dickerson, the over the counter manager at The Medicine Man in North Little Rock, describes the old process. "You couldn't really keep track and some times it would get a little messy. But with the electronic way now, you just slide an ID. It's simple."
At the Medicine Man in North Little Rock they have seen a huge drop in pseudoephedrine sales. They feel that’s because the software has drastically cut down on the number of people trying to buy ephedrine illegally. Dickerson said, "We have numerous people who see the scanner and turn right back around."
Paul Suskie, North Little Rock City Attorney said, "Every single pharmacy in the city voluntarily participated in the program. We were originally going to just make it voluntary, but Wal-Mart wanted us to make it mandatory to help protect them from any lawsuits."
We talked to a Wal-Mart spokesperson who said they have been tracking and limiting pseudoephedrine sales since 1997, long before it was required by law. The spokesperson said they initially didn’t volunteer because they were just worried about the privacy protection of their customers. However, they now feel those issues have been addressed and they are moving forward.
This is also just one part of several programs North Little Rock has implemented to crack down on Meth. They were one of the first in the state to require proper clean up at homes with former meth labs. They were the first in the state to develop the S.A.F.E. Team program, which shuts drug houses down after a bust. Now tracking pseudoephedrine sales. Paul Suskie said, "It’s just an example of how North Little Rock is in the lead. We have been very aggressive and pro-active in finding new ways to address crime."
According to Suskie, the city council will vote on making the software mandatory on Monday. He says there is no opposition and will likely pass. This is also a pilot program that costs the city and the pharmacies nothing. In fact, it saves the city money by cutting down on police man hours.
Suskie hopes the rest of the state will pick up the program after they see how effective it is in North Little Rock.
Suskie said, "We are going to send a message to the meth cooks. If you are trying to cook meth and you are going to buy your ephedrine, you better not do it in North Little Rock because we will catch you and you are going to go to jail."
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