Group says database helped Indiana fight meth cookers

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INDIANAPOLIS — A nonprofit group says an electronic database used by Indiana pharmacists and police to track sales of cold medicines that can be used to produce methamphetamine blocked the sale of more than 57,000 boxes of medicine containing pseudoephedrine during the first six months of 2012.

The Lutherville, Md.-based National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators says data released by the National Precursor Log Exchange shows the system may have kept more than 132,000 grams of pseudoephedrine from being diverted by meth cookers.

A law that took effect Jan. 1 requires retailers selling ephedrine and pseudoephedrine to enter information about buyers and their purchases in the National Precursor Log Exchange. The system issues "stop-sale" alerts if buyers try to purchase more than the allowable limit within a 30-day period.