Rx for Decongestants; Police State Gone Wild

The Pyrrhic 'war on drugs' has no bounds. Because prescriptions have done so much to stop prescription narcotics trafficing, the police state is going after my pseudophed. Imagine having to visit your doctor to get a decongestant- aren't we supposed to be trying to contain healthcare costs? How much human suffering must we all endure to appease them?

State and local efforts to thwart methamphetamine production by further limiting consumer access to a popular decongestant are pitting law enforcement against pharmacists and patients.

New ordinances in some Missouri communities and legislation pending in several states would require consumers to get a prescription to buy cold and allergy pills containing pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed and Claritin-D. The medicines still are being purchased at pharmacies to make methamphetamine, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), despite an earlier nationwide effort to track sales.

The goal is to eliminate meth labs — often in homes or hotel rooms — that use a mixture of toxic chemicals that can explode or catch fire, putting bystanders at risk and requiring costly cleanups.

"I don't think I've ever been involved in my entire career in law enforcement in something that's more important than this," said Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Marshall Fisher, who supports a bill the Mississippi House passed last week. Mississippi seized 590 meth labs in 2009, he said, up from about 300 the previous year.

About 15 million Americans use pseudoephedrine products. Requiring prescriptions will delay access to the quick-acting medication and drive up costs to consumers through more doctor visits and co-pays, said Ron Fitzwater of the Missouri Pharmacy Association, which opposes prescription laws.

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which represents makers of over-the-counter medication, also is against the restrictions. It wants to pay for states to install electronic tracking systems to detect and stop excessive purchases.

Oregon is the only state that requires prescriptions. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., wants to mandate prescriptions nationwide. He notes Oregon had just 10 meth lab seizures in 2009.

Nationwide, cold and allergy sufferers already must show ID and sign pharmacy logs to buy restricted quantities of medications with pseudoephedrine. Those rules increasingly are being thwarted by illegal drugmakers who send people to multiple pharmacies to make small purchases. "It's a huge problem," said Gary Boggs of the DEA.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-02-01-decongestant_N.htm