By Associated Press, 10/18/01

ABOUT ANTHRAX Anthrax becomes a weapon when bacteria (shown in top photo as small squiggles) are cultured into spores (larger clumps) and mailed. Anthrax background Anthrax Q & A Facts about anthrax ID tips for suspicious mail  GRAPHICS The disease Types of anthrax Anthrax as a weapon Inside an anthrax attack Disease facts Other bioterror threats Exposure Diagnosing anthrax Anthrax-fighting drugs Cleaning up contamination Suspicious mail What to look for Letters sent to Daschle, NBC  ANTHRAX EXPOSURES See complete list  LATEST NEWS Thousands of workers tested  FROM TODAY'S GLOBE Anthrax hits DC mail worker  REALVIDEO Inhaled anthrax in D.C. N.J. post office contaminated  RECENT COVERAGE 10/21/01 Anthrax in House mailroom N.H. mill was anthrax hot zone Anthrax may be domestic act Mexico rallies ranchers Mail workers receive antibiotics 10/20/01 Anthrax tied to single source Plans made in case of smallpox FBI eyes N.J. neighborhood Sales of Cipro limited 10/19/01 US: Germ was not 'weaponized' NY Post employee has anthrax CDC develops smallpox plan 2d NJ postal worker has anthrax 10/18/01 CBS staffer tests positive No new anthrax at Congress Small anthrax amounts in FL FBI offers $1m reward Anthrax found in Kenya letter Microsoft letter tests negative NJ postal workers has anthrax Pharmacist questioned on Cipro 60 on VT flight get antibiotics Thousands tested in DC 10/17/01 Two Feingold staffers exposed FDA publishes non-Cipro doses Cipro production increased FL, NY anthrax linked Pataki office exposed 10/16/01 Tests under way at ABC FBI: no direct link Man charged with hoax lie Several charged with hoaxes  CDC INFORMATION CDC: www.bt.cdc.gov/Agent /Anthrax/Anthrax.asp Hotline Number: 800-342-3557

TRENTON, N.J. -- The FBI has questioned at least one New Jersey pharmacist about anyone buying large amounts of the antibiotic Cipro prior to Sept. 18, when the first of two anthrax-tainted envelopes was mailed from Trenton.

Two agents questioned pharmacist John Berkenkopf, who owns Episcopo's Pharmacy at Chambers and Liberty streets in Trenton, Berkenkopf told The Times of Trenton.

The agents wanted to know if anyone bought between 60 and 120 tablets of the antibiotic, he told the newspaper for Thursday's editions. Berkenkopf said he did not fill any orders that large.

"The average purchase of Cipro is 14 or 20 tablets. That's a week to 10 days of medication," he said. "Sixty or 120 tablets would be a monstrous prescription. Anyone trying to buy that many would stick out like a sore thumb."

Special Agent Sandra Carroll, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Newark office, would not say whether any pharmacies had reported making large sales of the drug to anyone.

She said it "would stand to reason" that authorities would be suspicious of anyone seeking large amounts of Cipro that might be used to protect themselves when handling or working around anthrax spores.

The Sept. 18 letter was mailed to NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw. The other postmarked from Trenton was mailed to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. The envelopes passed through the Trenton postal district's main office.

An aide to Brokaw, along with a police officer and two lab technicians, were exposed to anthrax. More than 30 workers in Daschle's Senate office were exposed. All are being treated with Cipro.