It may soon be a lot more difficult to buy certain kinds of over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and Attorney General Chris Koster want to put greater restrictions on medications that can be used to make methamphetamine.
Both support a proposal requiring a prescription to purchase pseudoephedrine-based cold and allergy medicines.
Alice Allinson, a pharmacist at Elliott’s Pharmacy doesn’t agree with the proposal.
“That really makes it complicated for the patient. There are a lot of people out there that just need it seasonally for allergies, that kind of thing so I’m really not in favor of that too much,” said Allinson.
As you may know pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient in making meth.
Currently in Missouri you don’t know a prescription to buy medications containing pseudoephedrine.
You just have to be 18-years of age, have a valid driver license and you have to sign a log sheet that documents how many pills someone has purchased.
Elliott’s Pharmacy will soon use a data system to help them keep track.
“There’s a new program starting the first of January where its going to be a scan system and it will go directly into a database. So as they come in we will scan it into the system and I understand it will also help prevent people jumping from store to store in the same day trying to purchase that product.”
If this proposal passes, Missouri will join Oregon and Mississippi in states that require prescriptions for pseudoephedrine.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKTVO