The National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx) is a national database that officially starts in a lot of state this Jan 1st. In Indiana this program was pushed through the legislature by the Indiana Sheriff’s Assoc and the Indiana State Police. Neither the Indiana Board of Pharmacy nor the Indiana Pharmacists Alliance were involved in getting this passed. Here is my prediction, in a year or two the number of meth lab busts will still increase. If the number of bust in those states implementing this program is made public. Of course, the increase will probably be blamed on those states that did not implement the program.
What will not be mentioned is that this database is going to use the same ID that other failing war on drugs projects have used – DRIVER’S LICENSE..
Sure there is may be an initial increase in meth lab busts as those involved with buying PSE to make meth are caught by surprise that the system is in place.
There is an old saying,…”Every time youtry to make something idiot proof… they build better idiots …” When is the last day that you didn’t hear something about identity theft from some media. As technology grows, the ability to forge/fake just about anything gets easier. Our own currency is being redesigned to deal with counterfeiting. Services have sprung up to protect you from identity theft.
The state of Delaware has implemented a new law as of Dec 11, 2011 due to a forged controlled Rx passed with a forged/fake driver’s license.
Diverters don’t have to steal a ID…they just have to generate a ID that looks “good enough” to be read by the reader in the correct format.
Hasn’t someone stopped to figure out… created a lot of fake ID and off you go smurfing.
The little thing that didn’t happen with this new program – and the reason that it will fail – is the the electronic tracking system is not connected to the states’ drivers license database… so all the numbers put into this database does not necessarily represents VALID DRIVERS LICENSE NUMBERS.
It will take several years.. a minimum of 2-3 yrs before the numbers on meth lab busts start to be compiled… I guess then that they will have to start of the next program to replace this failed program… as Einstein said…” insanity .. is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome…”
Steve has been a licensed Pharmacist for four decades and counting.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
