State to store personal info of consumers who buy cold meds
SEATTLE -- The state will soon keep tabs on everyone who buys over-the-counter cold medicine.
Consumers' personal information will be stored in an electronic database that will also send real-time alerts to police.
Pharmacists already track much of the same information on paper, but those records aren't typically monitored. But come Oct. 15, the state will have instant access to the consumers' personal data.
One the change takes effect, any time you buy an over-the-counter cold medicine, the state Department of Health will store your personal information in an electronic database. The idea is to cut supplies to meth labs, but even some pharmacists think the solution goes too far.
"What's the point? It's overkill," said Steve Lee of Lafferty's Pharmacy in Ballard.
Lee says the records will track all purchases of cold and allergy drugs that contain pseudo-ephedrine or ephedrine. Or at each transaction, pharmacists will scan the customer's driver license and how much drug he or she is buying.
"To have it electronically recorded and then transmitted to some database that belongs to the state instantaneously is over-doing it," he said.
The cold medicine database will alert police every time someone tries to buy more than the limit. Supporters say that will stop illegal meth cooks from going store to store to get supplies, and the benefit outweighs any privacy concerns.
"Since it's the primary source of one of the key ingredients for methamphetamine, I think it's a terrific idea." said Brian Hughes.
But others say electronic tracking will change the way they'd treat a cold or flu.
"It would make me not want to buy Sudafed," said Andrea Wicklund.
"And for the state to think that they need to know that instantaneously is ridiculous," Lee said.
The American Civil Liberties Union said it does not plan to challenge the move based on privacy concerns.
Consumers' personal information will be stored in an electronic database that will also send real-time alerts to police.
Pharmacists already track much of the same information on paper, but those records aren't typically monitored. But come Oct. 15, the state will have instant access to the consumers' personal data.
One the change takes effect, any time you buy an over-the-counter cold medicine, the state Department of Health will store your personal information in an electronic database. The idea is to cut supplies to meth labs, but even some pharmacists think the solution goes too far.
"What's the point? It's overkill," said Steve Lee of Lafferty's Pharmacy in Ballard.
Lee says the records will track all purchases of cold and allergy drugs that contain pseudo-ephedrine or ephedrine. Or at each transaction, pharmacists will scan the customer's driver license and how much drug he or she is buying.
"To have it electronically recorded and then transmitted to some database that belongs to the state instantaneously is over-doing it," he said.
The cold medicine database will alert police every time someone tries to buy more than the limit. Supporters say that will stop illegal meth cooks from going store to store to get supplies, and the benefit outweighs any privacy concerns.
"Since it's the primary source of one of the key ingredients for methamphetamine, I think it's a terrific idea." said Brian Hughes.
But others say electronic tracking will change the way they'd treat a cold or flu.
"It would make me not want to buy Sudafed," said Andrea Wicklund.
"And for the state to think that they need to know that instantaneously is ridiculous," Lee said.
The American Civil Liberties Union said it does not plan to challenge the move based on privacy concerns.
Learn about changes coming to commenting