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Police: Cold Medication Registry Hasn't Helped Stop Meth Production

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (CBS) -- In Indiana, efforts have been unproductive so far in tracking the sale of cold medications that could be used for illicit drugs.

As WBBM Newsradio's John Waelti reports, Indiana began tracking the sale of cold medications last year, as part of an attempt to find makes of methamphetamine.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's John Waelti reports

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A new law requires all state pharmacies to track the sale of the key ingredient used in both drugs, pseudoephedrine.

But Indiana State Police say so far, the new law has not helped them much.

State Police First Sgt. Niki Crawford tells the Evansville Courier & Press that data have not arrived in a useful format yet, and that her unit is working with the system provider to fix the bugs.

Crawford says investigators have found meth cookers paying more people to buy cold medicines for them in order to get around purchase limits.

So far, the new law has blocked of 11,885 boxes of cold medicine, the Courier & News reported.

A similar law has been in place in Illinois for several years.

Some Indiana legislators have tried without success this year to advance a proposal to require prescriptions to buy the medicines with pseudoephedrine.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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