Pharmacy District Managers attended seminars hosted by the DEA in an effort to educate them on the ongoing issues and Wal-Mart s new sales limitation policy. In addition, it was important to educate our customers about the issue and alert them to Wal-Mart s new policy. All Wal-Mart stores received signing which was posted at every register and displayed in the pharmacy area of each store. Through online training and communication, we educated our associates about the dangers of methamphetamines and the commonly used products drug abusers utilize in the illicit manufacturing of methamphetamines. Wal-Mart technology also allows our associates to track ongoing purchases, by location, of methamphetamine precursor elements.
Suspicious activity is reported to local law enforcement officials.
To date, our work with the DEA and local law enforcement officials has led to more than 100 arrests of methamphetamine abusers. Since Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. implemented this policy in 1997, our customers and community leaders have expressed overwhelming support for our initiative, understanding the potential impact the limitation policy could have in preventing clandestine methamphetamine production in their communities. We have been approached by a number of national and regional retail outlets, including Target Stores, to seek counsel in implementing similar measures. Our hope has been to encourage ALL the nation s retailers who have the capability to do so to join Wal-Mart in this voluntary program. Unfortunately, we realize this initiative won t solve the nation s drug problem, but we feel it is a step in the right direction in helping the DEA fight this ongoing battle.