COLD CRACKDOWN

Stores Limit Medication Purchases In Effort To Battle Meth Production

In an effort to combat the production of crystal methamphetamine, some
pharmacies locally and nationwide are limiting the number of purchases of
cold medicine a customer can buy at one time.

In many cases, these policies have been in place for years - Wal-Mart began
restricting customers to no more than three packages of cold medication in
1997 - but those policies are getting increased attention as crystal
methamphetamine becomes more prevalent.

Florence Police Capt. Spence Butler said Wal-Mart and other chain stores
have done a good job cooperating with police and frequently call
authorities when they see something suspicious.

Pharmacists at Food World on Florence Boulevard tipped off police in April
about a woman buying the cold medicine Tussinex and forging prescriptions
for painkillers. That led to the arrest of four Birmingham residents
suspected of running a major drug operation.

Butler said increased vigilance at bigger stores has led to producers of
crystal methamphetamine targeting local drug stores and discount stores
such as Dollar General and buying generic medications. Officers have
approached those stores to warn them about criminals picking up supplies
and have had some success as a result.

"We've made several arrests off their information," Butler said.

Criminals are looking for pseudoephedrine. The chemical, found in many
over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines, is a key ingredient for making
crystal methamphetamine.

It's "like the flour for the bread," said Tom McNamara in a story for the
Chicago Tribune. He is director of a narcotics unit in southern Illinois.
"If you don't have the flour, you don't have the bread."

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan wants to impose a mandatory limit of
three packages of medication to a customer. Missouri enacted a law in 2003
making it a misdemeanor to sell more than two packages at a time.

Wal-Mart will only allow adults older than 18 to purchase the medications.
The store registers flag customers trying to buy more than three packages.
CVS/Pharmacy will allow customers to buy two packages of pills and one
bottle of liquid cold medicine at one time.

The stores don't keep track of customers. There is nothing preventing a
customer from making a purchase, then coming back into the store to buy
more medication except a cashier with sharp eyes and a good memory, like
those in previous incidents at Wal-Mart and Food World pharmacies.

"It isn't perfect," said Danette Thompson at Wal-Mart's headquarters in
Bentonville, Ark. "It's one thing we can do to try to affect this growing
problem."

Some local pharmacies say they don't have written policies regarding such
purchases. Steve Barnes at Barnes Health Care in Florence said his policy
is common sense. If someone is in his store buying cold medications in
bulk, he'd be suspicious.

"I would report that," he said. "That person would need some help."

Jason Humphreys, a staff pharmacist at Milner-Rushing Discount Drugs in
Muscle Shoals, said his store has never had a problem with someone trying
to buy large amounts of cold medicine.

"If somebody came up with six boxes, that's a red flag," he said. "We
wouldn't sell to someone suspicious. We have the right to refuse a sale if
we believe the customer will use (a product) maliciously."

Myron Crunk, head of the Lauderdale County Drug Task Force, would rather
have stores call his office with their suspicions than limit purchases. He
doubts the practice would have much effect on anyone except the stupidest
of criminals.

"They go to different places," he said. "Sometimes they will shoplift. It
just makes it a little more difficult for the novice."

Meth manufacturers also are known to send accomplices, sometimes called
smurfs, into stores to buy or steal products containing pseudoephedrine.