What do you think about this?
Meth epidemic: database proposed to track pharmacy purchases (DOCUMENT) | pharmacy, database, proposed - News - Northwest Florida Daily News
DeFUNIAK SPRINGS ? The fight against methamphetamine continues in Walton County.
Sheriff Mike Adkinson asked county commissioners Tuesday to adopt a MethCheck ordinance.
Adkinson said he is the law would be based on a similar ordinance in Bay County. If Walton County?s law would call for all pharmacies to install the same system to monitor purchases of drugs commonly used to make methamphetamine.
?We are trying to reduce the availability of precursor products and make hundreds of arrests possible,? Adkinson told commissioners. ?It is, in fact, an epidemic."
?We have come to the conclusion that imitation is the best form of flattery, so we?re taking this from Bay County.?
The electronic database allows on-demand, real-time access to pharmacy logs across the county of purchases of allergy medicine that contain pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient in meth. The system is accessed through a Web site available on the Internet.
The Sheriff?s Office is applying for a state grant to make the system free to all Walton County pharmacies.
Pharmacies already are required to keep logs of patrons who buy over-the-counter medicine, but there is no uniform system. With MethCheck, there would be one system used throughout the county to allow pharmacies to review purchases outside their own store.
Adkinson said MethCheck could be required statewide in the near future, but adopting the ordinance now would allow law enforcement to track people purchasing ingredients countywide and make more arrests.
The system will make it impossible for someone to buy more than their limit of pseudoephedrine without leaving the county. It also would make it easier for investigators to find suspected meth labs and manufacturers, he said.
County commissioners agreed to have a public hearing on Feb 23 to address the ordinance.
?This is serious, serious business,? Adkinson said. ?We want to take more positive steps in ending this epidemic.?
Meth epidemic: database proposed to track pharmacy purchases (DOCUMENT) | pharmacy, database, proposed - News - Northwest Florida Daily News
DeFUNIAK SPRINGS ? The fight against methamphetamine continues in Walton County.
Sheriff Mike Adkinson asked county commissioners Tuesday to adopt a MethCheck ordinance.
Adkinson said he is the law would be based on a similar ordinance in Bay County. If Walton County?s law would call for all pharmacies to install the same system to monitor purchases of drugs commonly used to make methamphetamine.
?We are trying to reduce the availability of precursor products and make hundreds of arrests possible,? Adkinson told commissioners. ?It is, in fact, an epidemic."
?We have come to the conclusion that imitation is the best form of flattery, so we?re taking this from Bay County.?
The electronic database allows on-demand, real-time access to pharmacy logs across the county of purchases of allergy medicine that contain pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient in meth. The system is accessed through a Web site available on the Internet.
The Sheriff?s Office is applying for a state grant to make the system free to all Walton County pharmacies.
Pharmacies already are required to keep logs of patrons who buy over-the-counter medicine, but there is no uniform system. With MethCheck, there would be one system used throughout the county to allow pharmacies to review purchases outside their own store.
Adkinson said MethCheck could be required statewide in the near future, but adopting the ordinance now would allow law enforcement to track people purchasing ingredients countywide and make more arrests.
The system will make it impossible for someone to buy more than their limit of pseudoephedrine without leaving the county. It also would make it easier for investigators to find suspected meth labs and manufacturers, he said.
County commissioners agreed to have a public hearing on Feb 23 to address the ordinance.
?This is serious, serious business,? Adkinson said. ?We want to take more positive steps in ending this epidemic.?
