Congress Targets Cold Medicines to Prevent Meth-Making January 28, 2005
News Summary
To the dismay of the pharmaceutical industry, federal lawmakers are seeking to restrict the sale of over-the-counter cold medicines that can be used to make methamphetamine, the Associated Press reported Jan. 26.Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Jim Talent (R-Mo.) are leading a bipartisan group of lawmakers backing a bill that would require customers to talk to a pharmacy worker and present ID to buy drugs containing pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed.
The measure is supported by local law-enforcement officials, but not the drug industry. "It will limit access for the legitimate consumers to cough and cold products," said Mary Ann Wagner, vice president for pharmacy regulatory affairs at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. "They're going to have to wait in line with everybody else, take the pharmacist away from their prescription customers to police the sales of the pseudoephedrine products."
Buyers would be limited to purchasing nine grams of the drug -- or 366 30-mg. pills -- per month. "Do you know a legitimate consumer that needs more than 300 pills at once, or a family that does? That's baloney," Feinstein said. "... The pharmaceutical companies are going to oppose anything."
The federal legislation is modeled on an Oklahoma bill passed last year, and also contains grant funding for meth treatment.
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