Cold Pills Could Vanish from Smaller Stores November 14, 2005
News Summary
The Everett (Wash.) Daily Herald reported Nov. 13 that new rules for selling drugs containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine -- such as Sudafed, Actifed, and Claritin -- may be too much for small businesses. The rules call for sellers to log every sale and require customers to sign for the drugs."When you have a cold or an allergy attack, don't turn to your convenience store for any relief," said T.K. Bentler of the Washington Association of Neighborhood Stores. "The Legislature has put an end to that."
But not every store is giving up on sales of cold medicines: the Everett Mall Chevron station, for instance, already keeps a log of cold-medicine buyers. "A lot of people say it's dumb, but they still do it; it hasn't stopped our sales," said owner Venus Gibbs.
The new rules go into effect Jan. 1. The group Washington Food Industry estimates that it will cost retailers $1 per customer to comply with the new law.
Boston University School of Public Health 
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