MIAMI, OK.--- The new regulation will apply to anyone who doesn't have a prescription. Oklahoma authorities hope it will decrease meth use in the state and the region.
Osborn Drugs in Miami is just one of hundreds of Oklahoma pharmacies required to use a new computer system to regulate sales of pseudoephedrine in 27 states.
Osborn Drugs in Miami is just one of hundreds of Oklahoma pharmacies required to use a new computer system to regulate sales of pseudoephedrine in 27 states.
"We just scan it and at that point we'll know if we can sell it," says Bill Osborn, Owner of Osborn Drugs.
As soon as pharmacist scans your license, they can see how much pseudoephedrine you've bought and where. The limit is about two boxes each month. The multi-state regulation system is called Nplex and controlled by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
OBN Spokesperson, Mark Woodward says, "It ties all the states together in terms of purchases and so that will keep someone from Oklahoma, for example, from reaching their daily or monthly limit and then just going up to Missouri or over to Kansas".
This is a trend OBN agents have seen over the past year. People drive state to state and stock pile on the drug to either cook meth or sell it to meth cooks.
"For some people, it might just be a 5 or 10 minute drive in these bordering cities. So it will close that loophole that's been so successful," says Woodward.
Woodward says meth has become and epidemic.
Woodward says meth has become and epidemic.
"We're averaging about 800 to 900 meth labs a year," says Woodward.
Oklahoma's bordering states, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas all use Nplex. Woodward believes Arkansas will soon add the regulation as well.
"It's very critical that we shut off this extra loophole that we believe will further continue to help meth labs drop in Oklahoma and I think in surrounding states as well," says Woodward.
