PHARMACY LIMITS SLOW PRODUCTION OF METH, POLICE SAY

Pseudoephedrine Purchases Lead To Recent Busts

A 2-year-old state law that limits the amount of pseudoephedrine a
person can buy has slowed manufacturing of methamphetamine in
Marathon County, according to police and pharmacists.

Pseudoephedrine is a common ingredient available in over-the-counter
remedies such as Sudafed or Advil Cold & Sinus. To buy products that
contain it, however, a person must sign a log that tracks sales. The
state allows a person to buy up to 7.5 grams of the drug within a
30-day period.

Pseudoephedrine is a common ingredient in the production of
methamphetamine, an addictive and illegal stimulant that can harm the
central nervous system. The restrictions make it difficult for people
to manufacture the drug locally.

"We don't get the intel or see the labs like we used to," said Lt.
Gary Schneck, who heads the Marathon County Sheriff's Department's
drug investigation unit.

Drug investigators review the drug logs and rely on tips from the
public, pharmacists and other officers to track large purchases of
pseudoephedrine, Schneck said.

A Schofield man was charged with a felony last month after Everest
Metro police saw his name repeatedly on drug logs at pharmacies in
Weston, Rothschild and Wausau. The man bought 23.5 grams between Nov.
23 and Jan. 3, sometimes stopping at three pharmacies a day,
according to a criminal complaint.

Another Schofield man was charged Friday after buying 11.4 grams from
Nov. 18 to Dec. 28 in Weston and Rothschild.

Mike Scheidecker, head pharmacist at Trig's Pharmacy in Wausau, said
he has refused sales to customers in the past because of excessive
purchases, but it is rare.

Thefts of the cold medications are down after the law forced
pharmacies to put them behind the counter, he said.

In addition, Sudafed has begun selling products that no longer
contain pseudoephedrine, he said.

Although the number of arrests and cases involving homemade meth was
down in 2007, crystal meth -- a purer form of the drug -- still is
commonly found and used in Marathon County, Schneck said. He thinks
most of it is being transported through Chicago and the Twin Cities
from Mexico.