Drug Topics - October 13, 2008 - (Page 17)

www.drugtopics.com Oct. 13, 2008 DRUG TOPICS Latebreakers… In Depth< < < 17 Kansas pharmacists partner with law enforcement officials to fight meth use Tirusha Dave T covered 97 meth labs – the total number he abuse of pseudoephedrine, a of such labs uncovered for all of 2007. chemical commonly found in cold “Meth continues to be a terrible probmedicines, is a growing crime in lem for Kansas,” said Jeff Brandau, special the United States. Though federal, state, agent in charge of the Kansas Bureau of and local laws control the sales of pseuInvestigation. He added that the number doephedrine, many individuals are still of meth labs being uncovered “reflects a using more than the legal limit, and some troubling turnaround.” are using it create methamphetamine Shaun Singleton, Kansas used to be one of the states — more commonly labeled as meth. President MethShield that used the hand log system to track Recently laws have been put into place that require pseudoephedrine-based products to be pseudoephedrine sales. However, it is now part kept behind the counter. Customers must sign a of a 12-month pilot program in progress at 128 logbook and present a photo ID when purchasing pharmacies and drugstores across 62 counties, these products. The logbook system is used in many all of which will offer real-time reports on the states; nonetheless, it’s not a strong tool for tracking sales of medications used to make meth. Now, pseudoephedrine sales or sharing real-time info be- if a customer walks into a Kansas pharmacy and purchased medications tween pharmacists, retailers, with pseudoephedrine and law enforcement. and then goes to purchase Another major disadvanthe same products at antage of this system is that other pharmacy, the secit doesn’t catch meth users ond pharmacy would be in the act of making an alerted right away and the illegal purchase of pseudosale would be stopped. ephedrine. For example, an The obvious purpose of individual can walk into MethShield is to reduce the a store and buy pseudoephedrine and then walk into another pharmacy level of criminal activity related to meth products and five blocks down the street and do it again, and their distribution. One pharmacy at a time, meth labs can be neutralized, along with illegal sales and activino one would ever know. In order to put a stop to this manual logbook sys- ties related to pseudoephedrine. Before the implementation of MethShield, Kantem, many states are now implementing an electronic “logbook” to help record pseudoephedrine sales and sas had tried to stop the illegal production of meth catch persons in the act of making an illegal purchase. through many other programs. On June 1, 2005, the This program, called MethShield, is an online system Sheriff Matt Samuels Chemical Control Act took that instantaneously alerts law enforcement agencies effect in Kansas. Under this law, cold and allergy if someone is making an illegal pseudoephedrine pur- medications containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were labeled as Schedule V controlled substances. chase and catches them in the act. Kansas is the first state to launch a pilot program However, officials are already concluding that Methof MethShield, which was initially developed in Shield will be more effective in stopping illegal sales Australia. The number of meth labs operating in the and production of these drugs. “MethShield has a proven track record of success, Australian state of Queensland, which is almost twice the size of Texas, decreased by 37 percent the first year and that’s because it was developed by pharmacists for pharmacies. It’s 100 percent safe and secure and will that MethShield was implemented. Kansas law enforcement officials have announced help to reduce the number of meth labs in western that the number of meth labs in their state has risen Kansas,” said Shaun Singleton, president of Methagain. In July, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation un- Shield and creator of the program. Photo: Wikipedia http://www.drugtopics.com

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Drug Topics - October 13, 2008 Contents Latebreakers Letters Kansas Pharmacists Partner with Law Enforcement to Fight Meth Use Pharmacy Board to Oversee Med Distribution at West Virginia Free Clinics Rx Care JP�at Large Celebrating Community Special Report Self-Care Government and Law Newer Treatment Option for Type 2 Diabetes New Products Advertisers Index Technology Classified Viewpoint:�Pharmacists Must Change our Ways

Drug Topics - October 13, 2008

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