I don't expect there are any meth cookers in the crowd and I usually don't wade into state level issues but this popped up this week.
Jay Nixon is proposing making any
pseudophedrine product prescription to reduce the possibility of the meth heads doing their thing...pseudophed is one of the main ingredients in making their illegal drug. Long ago pseudophed products went from RX to Over The Counter (
OTC), a move that made it more accessible to consumers. As the meth craze erupted in MO, the products were moved to Behind The Counter (
BTC) and in the recent past and ID and signature were required to track those who used the products. I suffer seasonal allergies and usually once or twice a year I need a combination pseudophed product to knock down the sinus problems until my RX med kicks in Some folks also use these products during cough and cold season. Requiring an RX would set off a sequence of events that would put the consumer/patient and doctor in a difficult position. Many doctor's offices are reluctant to authorize an RX over the phone without seeing the patient, for clinical and legal reasons. That would limit access to getting an RX to business hours and in many cases the back of the line for being seen. Then there is the cost of the doctor visit.
The state
Pharmacy Association thought they had been working with Nixon to increase the electronic surveillance of the BTC products. Nixon's press release came as a surprise to the group. What can you do? I sent an email to
Nixon, State Senator Shields, State Representative Brown to let them know my opposition to Nixon's intentions.
KC Star, December 3rd, page A7
"
15 years in thefts of meth ingredient"
One half ton of pseudophedrine waste from Sanofi-Aventis plant in South KC was stolen over time, to make $41 million in meth. Rx wouldn't have caught that.
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