If passed, a bill proposed by law makers in Missouri would require consumers to have a doctor's prescription in order to obtain medicines containing pseudoephedrine. The aim of the bill is to severely curtail production of methamphetamine, which is made with the ingredient.
A similar bill passed in Oregon in 2006 has nearly eliminated meth labs in that state, according to officials who spoke with The Associated Press, because it eliminated the practice of "group smurfing" where individuals go out and buy restricted quantities of cold meds and combine their purchases to manufacture the illegal drug.
Current Missouri law allows individuals to purchase products containing up to nine grams of pseudoephedrine every 30 days. Law enforcement officials in the state say criminals regularly circumvent the existing system. The state leads the nation in meth lab arrests. There were nearly 1,500 busts made in the state last year, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The proposed legislation, SB160 and HB623, has its critics, including physician groups that say it would lead to increased waiting times at doctors' offices and drive up the cost of medical care for patients.
Ron Fitzwater, executive director of the Missouri Pharmacy Association, said a new system authorized by state lawmakers last year that would enable tracking in real time should be given more time before new legislation is considered.
"We think that is still the best option," Mr. Fitzwater told the AP. "It continues to keep legitimate products available for legitimate patients."
Rep. Jeff Roorda, D-Barnhart, who sponsored the bill in the House, said, the prescription requirement would prevent the state from "dumping money into a database that we don't know will work."
Law enforcement officials believe the hassle associated with obtaining a prescription is being overplayed since there are many other products on the market that treat cold symptoms but do not contain pseudoephedrine.
"We are talking about one drug that does nothing more than stop a runny nose," said Franklin County Deputy Sheriff Jason Grellner.
Discussion Question: Does the proposed bill requiring a prescription for medicines containing pseudoephedrine in Missouri make sense and should retailers and manufacturers be getting behind it there and in other states?