Pubdate: Fri, 01 Jul 2005
Source: Times Daily (Florence, AL)
Copyright: 2005 Times Daily
Contact:  http://www.timesdaily.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1641
Author: Ty West

METH LAW BRINGS DRUG CHANGES

Customers Can Be Required to Sign, Show ID in Stores

If you're accustomed to picking up Sudafed and other cough
medicines and decongestants at your local pharmacy, don't be alarmed
if you can no longer find them on the store's shelves.

Beginning today, a new state law goes into effect, which will require
all medicines containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as the sole
active ingredients to be sold from behind the counter, or in a locked
cabinet, rather than on the store's open shelves.

Drugs containing ephedrine or pseudoeph-edrine, along with other
active ingredients, can either be placed behind the counter, in a
locked cabinet or under video surveillance, with the footage remaining
available for at least 30 days.The new law is designed to make it more
difficult to manufacture methamphetamine, an illegal drug that has
become increasingly popular in Alabama in recent years.

Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are two ingredients used to manufacture
methamphetamine.

Local pharmacists say that although the changes will require new
procedures, they will be beneficial for the community.

"I think it's a good law," said pharmacist Gerald Newbern, of
Northwood Pharmacy in Florence. "Anything you can do to keep this
stuff from getting into the wrong hands (is good for the
community)."

Newbern said cold medicines and decongestants, especially non-drowsy
formulas, would be the main medicines affected by the new law.

In addition to regulating the location of the drugs within the store,
the law also regulates several aspects of ephedrine and
pseudoephedrine sales.

First, customers may only purchase two packages or products and no
more than six grams of any drug containing ephedrine and
pseudoephedrine in a single transaction.

The law will also requires customers to present either a picture ID,
or two other forms of identification before purchasing the drugs, and
prohibits sale of the drugs to customers younger than 18 years of age.

Also, when customers purchase the drugs, they will have to sign a log
that will keep track of the date of purchase and the name of the customer.

Mark Ray, a pharmacist at Avalon Discount Drugs in Muscle Shoals, said
that even though the new regulations will bring added duties, they
might make some aspects of a pharmacist's job easier.

"They usually ask for our opinions about what they need, so it might
save us a trip," Ray said.

Ray also said he believes the regulations could help the
methamphetamine problem in the area.

Kenny Sanders, vice president for professional affairs at the American
Pharmacy Cooperative Incorporated, said the law will be enforced by
the State Board of Pharmacy, as well as the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage
Control Board and the Alabama Methamphetamine Abuse Task Force.

Those pharmacies found in violation of the law will be subject to
Class C misdemeanors for the first offense, punishable by no more than
three months in prison and a $500 fine.

Subsequent violations will result in a Class C felony, punishable by
1-10 years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.

Jana Hutchenson, of Muscle Shoals, said the new procedure for
purchasing the medicines likely won't cause her any problems.

"If they did cause problems, the law is still for the good,"
Hutchenson said. "I just hate that it's come to this."

Tiffany Bruce, a spokeswoman for Walgreen's, a national drug store
chain with a pharmacy in Muscle Shoals, said the chain already had
many of the new procedures in place.

"We've implemented many of these regulations nationwide," Bruce
said.

Curtis Burns, director of the Colbert County Drug Task Force, said he
believes the law will be effective, based on a similar law in Oklahoma.

It will probably make it harder for people to manufacture
methamphetamine, Burns said.

Burns said methamphetamine manufacturers are difficult to find because
they often manufacture it for themselves, family or close friends, and
it is difficult to find someone to give law enforcement agents tips
about the locations of meth labs.

Newbern said he has had some customers who could have possibly been
trying to purchase medicine to manufacture methamphetamine.

"I've had a couple that have come in here and looked around," Newbern
said. "We'll ask them if we can help them, they just say they're
looking around, and (then they) leave."

Newbern said the long-term solution will be for drug companies to
change their medications to where they can no longer be used to
manufacture illegal drugs like methamphetamines.

"A lot of drug companies are reformulating their products, and in the
long run, I think that is the answer," Newbern said.
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