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Coborn's Deploys Web-Based Logging System for Customers of Meth-Precursors

ST. CLOUD, Minn. -Coborn's Inc. yesterday said it has deployed a new Web-based age verification system to enable store pharmacists and their technical staff to quickly process customer sales of controlled products listed under the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act 2005.

The solution, called Combat Meth Alert (CMA) from Legal Age ID Systems, Inc., Elkton, M.D., saves time at the pharmacy by reducing manual processes.

"What used to be a labor intensive manual process of several minutes, now takes seconds to perform," said Ted Beatty RPh, director of pharmacy for Coborn's. "In addition, we've reduced the chance of costly errors and are now able to focus more on our customers needs at the pharmacy counter. In three easy steps the system scans the customer's driver license, scans the product's barcode and then automatically calculates the daily or monthly allotment for each customer while capturing an electronic image of their signature."

The Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 calls for pharmacies to record the product by name, quantity sold, and the name and address of the customer purchasing the products as verified by customer's photo ID, date, and time of sale in a log book, which the retailer must maintain for at least two years.

Scheduled drugs controlled by the Act are products containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine -- ingredients typically found in cough, cold, and flu medications such as Sudafed.

The CMA software supports verification of more than 270 driver's licenses and other government-issued ID cards from 65 state and provincial jurisdictions in North America, according to the vendor. It's designed to use the hardware platforms already in use at a pharmacy, the most common being PCs and credit card terminals. Coborn's deployed CMA onto VeriFone Omni 3750's that were already in place for credit card transactions.

Coborn's owns and operates 34 Coborn's and Cash Wise Foods grocery stores in the upper Midwest, along with convenience, liquor, video stores, and pharmacies. It also operates a central bakery, central dry cleaning facility, durable medical equipment outlet, central commissary, long term care pharmacy, and its own grocery distribution center. The company employs 6,000 associates in six states.
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