SHERIFF, PHARMACIES TO FIGHT METH LABS

Potter County Sheriff Mike Shumate announced a new program Friday to curb
methamphetamine production with the help of area pharmacies.

Pharmacies will require picture identification for large purchases of
products that can be used in the production of methamphetamines, Shumate said.

The Potter County Sheriff's Department is distributing brightly colored
signs explaining the policy.

"We've had a bad problem with clandestine methamphetamine labs," Shumate said.

"We have identified what some of the ingredients they are using are, and
they are fairly easy to obtain," Shumate said.

Ingredients can be found in several cold remedies, body-building
supplements with amino acids and other household products, according to a
department news release.

By discouraging the purchase of these items in large quantities, Shumate
said he hopes to lower the number of meth labs, and with them burglary and
other crimes that go along with methamphetamines.

Shumate said he thinks the program will have an impact, but acknowledged
those in the drug trade learn the system fairly quickly and adapt.

"We'll just have to make ourselves a little more vigilant," he said.

Deputies have spoken to several major pharmacies, all of which said they
were willing to participate, Shumate said.

"I think it's a very good program," said Mark Vogler, one of the owners of
Martin-Tipton Pharmacy, 1422 S. Tyler.

"We've already pulled back some of our drugs that contain those products
and make people ask for them rather than have them regularly available over
the counter," Vogler said. "I think that deters those elements from asking
for those drugs."

In a letter to participating pharmacies, Shumate also asked them to get a
good physical description and a vehicle license plate number for customers
making large purchases of products containing ingredients for
methamphetamine production.