Pubdate: Sun, 15 Aug 2004
Source: Sunday Territorian (Australia)
Copyright: 2004 Northern Territory News
Contact:  http://www.ntnews.com.au
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3401
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

CASH FOR CRACKDOWN

Canberra: Police forensic chemists are to receive an extra $200, 000 over 
the next 4 years to help crackdown on the growing number of hidden drug 
laborities.

Justice Minister Chris Ellison said the money would be provided under the 
national strategy to prevent the diversion of precursor chemicals which are 
used in the illegal manufacture of amphetamines.

Flu pill buyers end up in police files by Suellen Hinde

A prominent Territory solicitor says pharmacists who are providing peronal 
details from people buying over the counter medicines to police could be 
breaching privacy laws. Solicitor Bill Priestley recently attempted to buy 
a packet of Sudafed while suffering from the flu and 2 Darwin chemists both 
asked him for his drivers licence.

"The 1st chemist asked me to show my drivers licence so he could make a 
photocopy to send to police," Mr Priestley said. "I refused and the chemist 
refused to sell me the Sudafed. "I then went to a 2nd chemist that also 
asked for my drivers license and I refused, and after some argument he 
relented and old me the Sudafed."

Sudafed contains psuedoephedrine, a precursor to the manufacture of 
amphetamines. Territory police and the Territory Government deny formal or 
informal arrangements with chemists to supply customers personal 
information exist.

But the Sunday Territorian has obtained a letter from the Territory Police 
Information and Reporting Branch to Mr Preistley stating a memorandum of 
understanding exists between the Pharmacists Guild, the NT Pharmacy Board, 
NT Police and the Department of Health and Community Services.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia also has a national code of practice to 
refuse or limit the sale of medicines containing psuedoephedrine. 
Pharmaceutical Guild of Australia NT Branch president Ian Marshall said 
most Darwin pharmacists have signed up to the code of practice that 
involved obtaining information from people buying medicines with high 
levels of codeine and passing that information on to police. "They have 
signed up to that code." Mr Marshall said. "It requires seeking ID, 
recording and supplying information from purchasers of these medicines not 
known to pharmacists.'It is to make sure the drug is used for the purpose 
it was intended to." "These young kids come in trying to buy it and it is 
one of those isues that is for the greater good."

But a Territory police spokesman said that there was no arrangement with 
pharmacists to collect this information. "Northern Territory Police do not 
have a policy of collecting drivers licence details from chemists", he said.

But in a letter to Mr Priestley Business Information and Reporting Branch 
director Garry Lambert said there was in place arrangements for the 
transfer of information by pharmacies to NT police.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D