Bartell Drugs to test device to fight meth
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SEATTLE -- Locally-owned Bartell Drugs is the first chain in the nation to test a unique device that fights meth.
A small, hand-held machine is called SudaScan tracks sales of cold medicines that contain ingredients that can be used to make meth.
"It's a very proactive approach to keeping production out of the hands of people who shouldn't be buying them," said Chris Parsons, President of Pharmitas, which developed the device.
According to the state Attorney General office, 90 percent of inmates convicted of serious property crimes were meth users. And meth is considered the single largest driver of foster care cases in Washington.
Last year, the federal government passed a law to limit how much cold medicine anyone can buy if it contained chemicals used in meth manufacturing.
Since then, customers have had to fill out time-consuming paperwork with their name, address, ID and what they are buying.
"When we first started the program I think the number one frustration was the time it took to purchase these products," said Bartell Store Manager, Tom Gaschk.
Now a customer simply pulls out their driver's license and scans it. The device instantly records all the needed information from a driver's license and all the info on the medicine from its bar code. The customer's personal information goes to databank instead of being stored on paper in the pharmacy.
The scanner immediately alerts the pharmacist if a customer has already bought the legal limit.
With paper logs, law enforcement might not detect someone buying over the limit for days or weeks after the logs are collected, compiled and recorded.
"It was a very reactive way. They weren't actually able to enforce the law which requires you 'not' to sell beyond the limit," said Parsons.
Bartell Drugs will test SudaScan for three months to see if it proves a small remedy for a growing epidemic.
A small, hand-held machine is called SudaScan tracks sales of cold medicines that contain ingredients that can be used to make meth.
"It's a very proactive approach to keeping production out of the hands of people who shouldn't be buying them," said Chris Parsons, President of Pharmitas, which developed the device.
According to the state Attorney General office, 90 percent of inmates convicted of serious property crimes were meth users. And meth is considered the single largest driver of foster care cases in Washington.
Last year, the federal government passed a law to limit how much cold medicine anyone can buy if it contained chemicals used in meth manufacturing.
Since then, customers have had to fill out time-consuming paperwork with their name, address, ID and what they are buying.
"When we first started the program I think the number one frustration was the time it took to purchase these products," said Bartell Store Manager, Tom Gaschk.
Now a customer simply pulls out their driver's license and scans it. The device instantly records all the needed information from a driver's license and all the info on the medicine from its bar code. The customer's personal information goes to databank instead of being stored on paper in the pharmacy.
The scanner immediately alerts the pharmacist if a customer has already bought the legal limit.
With paper logs, law enforcement might not detect someone buying over the limit for days or weeks after the logs are collected, compiled and recorded.
"It was a very reactive way. They weren't actually able to enforce the law which requires you 'not' to sell beyond the limit," said Parsons.
Bartell Drugs will test SudaScan for three months to see if it proves a small remedy for a growing epidemic.
