People purchasing excessive amounts of cold medicine might want to keep in mind that a system put in place back in January of 2012, is allowing law enforcement to watch and keep track of their purchases, as odd as that might sound. The National Precursor Log Exchange is a purchasing database that is completely electronic and updates in real time. Officers can receive alerts on their mobile phones about suspects and even add them to a watch list that sends out alerts when a suspect attempts to make a purchase. Yes, that does sound a little like something you might find in the book entitled 1984.
The NPLEx website states, "NPLEx LE allows on-demand, real-time access to pharmacy logs from across the country via a Web site accessible from any PC with Internet connectivity." WGNS also found that the site stated, "Additionally, NPLEx provides automated tools that give law enforcement the ability to monitor suspicious buying patterns and to “watch” specific individuals who exceed the legal limits imposed by federal or state law."
