Pharmaceutical sales of pseudoephedrine: the impact of electronic tracking systems on methamphetamine crime incidents.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Electronic tracking systems (ETS) are used extensively in pharmacies across the United States and Australia to control suspicious sales of pseudoephedrine. This study measures the impact of one ETS-Project STOP-on the capacity of police to reduce production, supply and possession of methamphetamine. DESIGN: Using official police data of incidents of production, supply and possession from January 1996 to December 2011 (n = 192 data points/months over 16 years), we used a quasi-experimental, time-series approach. SETTING: The State of Queensland, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: No individual participants are included in the study. The unit of analysis is reported police incidents. MEASUREMENTS The study examines the impact of the ETS on production (n = 5938 incidents), drug supply and trafficking (n = 20 094 incidents) and drug possession or use (n = 118 926) of methamphetamine. FINDINGS: Introduction of the ETS in November 2005 was associated with an insignificant decrease (P = 0.15) in the production of methamphetamine. The intervention was associated with a statistically significant increase in supply incidents (P = 0.0001). There was no statistically significant effect on the incidence of possession (P = 0.59). CONCLUSIONS: Electronic tracking systems can reduce the capacity of people to produce methamphetamine domestically, but seem unlikely to affect other aspects of the methamphetamine problem such as possession, distribution and importation.