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Program to track pseudoephedrine sales goes national


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http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1790557.htm

The Queensland Government says other states are so impressed with the state's new cold medicine laws they want to copy them.

Pharmacists in Queensland have to keep a record of pseudoephedrine sales to stop criminals stockpiling drugs for amphetamine production.

The Queensland Police Minister, Judy Spence, says 36 people have been charged in the first 12 months of the state laws.

"We want this project to go national because we don't want people buying these tablets in other states and bringing them to Queensland to make amphetamines," she said.

"Once the other ministers found out about this wonderful project they endorsed it.

"Today the Commonwealth endorsed it, so hopefully we'll see it rolled out nationally in the next 12 months."

National database

Meanwhile, a national database will be set up to track and collect information on illegal drug laboratories around Australia.

State police ministers signed an agreement on the database at a meeting in Adelaide.

The South Australian Police Minister, Paul Holloway, says it will be a one-stop shop for information on offenders and operations.

"The advantage of such a database will also provide information on trends towards signature chemicals, equipment, recipies and manufacturing methods that are used by these crooks," he said.

"So as new techniques develop in one state, that information will be available to other jurisdictions."

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I had a run in with customs a number of years ago while returning from Bali with ephedrine tablets which I had bought at the chemist while I was there.

I wonder how long it will be before Australian customs start searching people for pseudoephedrine cold and flu medication brought into the country without a perscription?

Edited by Fenris
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My local chemist has a poster that says 'Pseudo watch' with a picture of a tablet and smaller text indicating that all transactions involving pseudoephedrine are recorded. I've only noticed this poster recently, but when I had a flu about 2 months ago they took my details.

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They've been logging details in my area of NSW for at least 2 years now!

Whenever I go to buy Sudafed, I always play with the pharmacist.

Pharmacist- "Did you want the box of 12 or 24?"

Benzito- "How many do you have of each?"

Always good fun.

The East Blaxland pharmacy actually got busted a few years back too! Turns out that the pharmacist normally ordered 10 boxes of Sudafed a month, and then one month he just ordered 4000 or something! LOL!

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Most states already track purchases.

However the tracking is often onto paper books or noncentralised computer systems that are more useful to police as evidence after charging someone.

This article is about implementing a nationwide centralised database on purchases.

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