Chemical
Program > Advisories
to the Public > Thefts of Regulated Drug Products That Contain
Ephedrine or Pseudoephedrine Are Increasing
November 2000
Thefts of Regulated Drug
Products That Contain Ephedrine or Pseudoephedrine Are Increasing
Pseudoephedrine and ephedrine are highly
coveted by drug traffickers who use these chemicals to manufacture
methamphetamine for the illicit market. The Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA) is receiving reports of thefts and unexplained losses of large
quantities of these substances from distributors.
To prevent thefts, DEA strongly
suggests that List I chemical handlers follow
these guidelines:
-
Maintain a system to control your
inventory and monitor for unexplained losses or disappearances
-
Prevent employee theft by requiring
employee background checks and drug testing. In addition, DEA
registrants must follow the guidance of U.S.
Code of Federal Regulations 21 §1309.72 in regard to employing
persons with drug felony convictions and possibly limiting their access
to List I chemicals.
-
Improve physical security with
anti-theft measures such as maintaining stock in a segregated area,
limiting employee access to stock, and operating surveillance cameras.
In the event of theft,
DEA reminds List I chemical handlers of the regulatory requirement:
To prevent recurring thefts, DEA
recommends the following:
-
List I chemical handlers should treat
an individual theft or significant loss seriously and should monitor
occurrences so that patterns do not remain undetected.
-
When improving security after a
theft, extend security improvements to all locations which store or
distribute listed drug products.
-
The repeated loss of small quantities
of listed chemicals over a period of time may indicate a significant
aggregate problem that must be reported to DEA, even though the
individual quantity of each occurrence does not appear to be
significant.
In an environment in which traffickers
are aggressively seeking pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, List I chemical
handlers should view unexplained losses as
likely thefts. DEA registrants must provide effective controls and
procedures to guard against theft and diversion of these List I chemicals. A
chemical handler who experiences thefts and/or losses must take special
action. Continuing to rely on a system that has been violated is not providing
effective controls.
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