March 28, 2008

For years, law enforcement officials have been fighting the war on methamphetamine. Now, thanks to new Arkansas legislation, authorities hope to see fewer battles.

By May 15, every pharmacy in Arkansas will be hooked into a computer software program called LeadsOnLabs, which is an online record of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and phenylpropanolamine purchases. These are drugs used in the manufacture of meth.

The law will require anyone wanting to purchase cold medicine containing those substances to swipe his driver’s license into the LeadsOnLabs system, which will allow every pharmacy connected to the system to be made aware of how much of the cold medicine a person has already purchased.

“When we scan a person’s identification, LeadsOnLabs lets us know where they have been,” Mark Haynes, office manager for West Side Pharmacy in Benton, said.

“We find out how much of particular medicine a person has available to purchase and if they try to go over their limit, they are red-flagged.”

John O’Brien, communications director for LeadsOnLabs, said the system will not cost pharmacies because Act 508, enacted in 2007, specifies that the state absorbs the costs.

According to the Arkansas Crime Information Center, “Act 508...requires the ACIC to provide a real-time electronic logbook for all pharmacies in the state....This system, by sharing real-time information among all the pharmacies in the state, is designed to reduce and ultimately eliminate the manufacture of methamphetamines in Arkansas.”

Because of this new legislation, pharmacies will no longer have to write the names of people purchasing cold medicine products and no longer have to keep logs in their stores. The Benton Police Department purchased this service more than a year ago and several pharmacists in Benton who connected to the system said they noticed the change. “It saves the pharmacist a lot of headaches,” Holly Friend, pharmacist at Smith-Caldwell Drug Store in Benton, said.

“This system really simplifies things for us and it also definitely cut down the amount of ephedrine sales to potential meth users.”

This also may change the way some pharmacies conduct future sales; many pharmacies, including several in Saline County, have tried to combat meth by not carrying products containing ingredients used to make meth. Many pharmacists, including Mike Murray, owner and pharmacist at Economy Drug in Benton, said they are glad pharmacies will be connected to LeadsOnLabs.

But, he said, “We (pharmacies) took all that medicine off our shelves. We just felt it was in the best interest of the community to not sell it.”

Susan Schee, a pharmacist at Walgreens in Benton, said she moved to Saline County about a year ago and noticed a difference with the pharmacies using LeadsOnLabs.

“We used to have to do things by word of mouth,” Schee said. “Now, we do it all online. We don’t have to pay for it and I think it has been impressive. It has been a tremendous deterrent to meth users.”

Law enforcement authorities in Saline County have mixed feelings on how much the new computer software will actually stop the manufacture and use of meth, but many agree that it makes their jobs easier.

“What people are doing now is sending out four of five different people to four or five different stores all over to purchase their ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine,” Lt. Mike Frost of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office said.

“I haven’t heard that all the pharmacies will be connected soon, but I think that will be great for us. We already work with pharmacies, but this may help take the leg work out of narcotic officers. I think it would help us tremendously.”

Shannon Hills Police Chief Richard Friend said he has been using the system for around two years and said he has found it helpful in shutting down meth labs.

“I get an e-mail every morning of suspicious purchases made at pharmacies within a 60-mile radius,” Friend said.

“I ended up busting two meth labs after 14 days of purchasing LeadsOnLabs ... within 20 days, I found that the system pretty much paid itself back. This works out good for everyone ... it even cuts down on gas for police vehicles, as we don’t have to drive all around to different pharmacies.

“Those e-mails help out tremendously, too. If someone slips through the cracks on the first or second day, by the third day I get another e-mail flagging those missed. As long as I am here, we’ll always use this system.”

Sheriff Phil Mask said he believes that the system will be good, but wonders if the meth-makers will find away around it.

“The users and makers of meth all get together now in a community effort,” Mask said.
 

“There are a lot more mom and pop meth cooks and after getting their limits on the amount of meth purchases, they pull all their resources together to make it. With LeadsOnLabs it will make it more difficult for them, but they always found away around it before ... this is why we have to stay on top of it, because things change daily.”

Sgt. Hanley Taylor of the Benton Police Department echoes Mask’s thoughts.

“Meth cooks are getting anyone they can to purchase those products, including using kids to get them,” Taylor said.

“One elderly lady was once suspected and we found out her purse was stolen in which her driver’s license was used to make the purchases of the cold medicines. LeadsOnLabs is a great tool and I am glad it is going to be statewide. It will make them more paranoid, but they’ll still probably get their medicine, I just hope it slows them down.”