Police in Bradford County, Florida, which is about an hour southwest of Jacksonville, Florida, used a tip from a pharmacy to make a big methamphetamine arrest, according to an article on Firstcoastnews.com.
Pseudoephedrine is a common ingredient in cold medicines such as Sudafed. It is also an important ingredient in the manufacture of methamphetamine. In the past, people would go to pharmacies and grocery stores and anonymously buy large quantities of Sudafed and other cold medicine to use the pseudoephedrine to make methamphetamine. However as methamphetamine production became more widespread, the laws were changed in Florida to require people buying cold medicines with pseudoephedrine to show identification and have their names and purchase documented in a log kept at the store. The Florida law also limits the amount of pseudoephedrine products a person can buy.
When a person buys or attempts to buy too many pseudoephedrine products, pharmacy or store employees may call other stores that sell pseudoephedrine products to check their logs and/or the police to report suspected methamphetamine manufacturing. Additionally, police in Florida involved in methamphetamine investigations or who have made methamphetamine arrests will often contact local pharmacies to see if they have evidence of pseudoephedrine purchases made by a particular person. This can be strong evidence in a methamphetamine manufacturing case.