Pubdate: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 Source: Standard, The (St. Catharines, CN ON) Copyright: 2005, The Standard Contact: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/676 Author: Grant LaFleche Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada) PHARMACISTS WILL LAUNCH 'METH WATCH" Ontario pharmacists expect to go on the offensive this fall in the fight to prevent the spread of crystal meth in the province. The Ontario Pharmacists' Association hopes to launch an educational outreach program in schools in October and begin a "Meth Watch" program to better monitor the sale of cold medicines used to cook up the drug. "This is an issue that is not going to go away," said association vice-president Donnie Edwards of Boggio Pharmacy in Port Colborne. "It is only a matter of time before we see a real growth in crystal methamphetamine use in Ontario. So education and prevention are our best tools at this point." Crystal meth, a drug that has swept through the United States and western Canada, has been on the agendas of pharmacists' organizations, law enforcement agencies and public health organization in Ontario for months. Queen's Park has formed a special crystal meth task force in an attempt to combat the spread of the drug in Ontario. "They are going to talk to experts who will be able to provide the necessary advice to come up with recommendations," said St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley. He said one of the issues the task force is bound to face is the accessibility of pseudeophedrine, a chemical used as a decongestant in many cold and allergy medications. Pseudeophedrine is a critical chemical needed to produce crystal meth. Other chemicals are derived from solvents, battery acids and paint thinners, but without pseudeophedrine, the drug cannot be manufactured. In Toronto on Thursday, Health Minister George Smitherman was quick to note that requiring a prescription for common over-the-counter medications such as Sudafed, Actifed and Contac is just one of many ideas that will be on the table as Canada's most populous province wrestles with the growing national scourge of crystal meth. "This is one of the very many ideas that's out there and warrants appropriate consideration," Smitherman said. "We need to look in those jurisdictions that have taken that step (to see) whether it's proven to be effective." But David Skinner, president of the Nonprescription Drug Manufacturers Association of Canada, said: "Cold medications are not the problem; criminals and methamphetamine are the problem." "The issue has nothing to do with the millions of Canadians who legitimately use cold medication to treat their symptoms instead of going to their doctors to seek a prescription," Skinner added. Edwards said pharmacists are aware of the importance of pseudeophedrine to meth makers and that is why steps are being taken to better control its sale. "We are going to adopt a program similar to what they call Meth Watch out west," Edwards said. The program would allow pharmacists to better monitor the sale of remedies that use pseudeophedrine. In many pharmacies, these medications are on shelves directly in front of the main dispensary, he said. But the meth watch program will make that practice universal. It will also create a reporting mechanism for pharmacists who observe unusual purchases of cold and allergy medications. "Monitoring that isn't that difficult, at least not in an environment our size," said Thorold pharmacist John Henderson. "We would notice something unusual pretty quickly." Henderson said in smaller operations such as his Front Street shop, someone buying unusually large amounts of cold medicine would be noticed. Even without a formal reporting system in place, he said pharmacies can step in. "We can refuse to sell -- plain and simple," he said. Niagara Regional Police Acting Chief Donna Moody said from a policing perspective, reducing access to pseudeophedrine is critical. "Any substance that can be used to create another illegal drug should be controlled or regulated," she said. "We need to start that process now because sooner or later we are going to see an increase in the number of clandestine labs." Moody, who sits on the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police committee on substance abuse, said placing cold medications behind the counter might be the place to start. However, Edwards said pseudeophedrine is so widely used, and is so effective, that clamping down too tightly may just be impractical. "That might change because many drug manufacturers are talking about reworking their products to replace pseudeophedrine with another decongestant." Monitoring pseudeophedrine is only part of the battle, Edwards said. So in October, the association wants to begin an outreach program in Ontario schools to warn of the dangers of crystal meth. "Prevention is particularly important. This is a very addictive and very dangerous drug," he said. "There are no recovery programs for crystal meth users like there are for heroin addicts. So talking to students now is vital." Edwards said the association is hoping the provincial government will support the educational program as a way to combat crystal meth. Dr. Robin Williams, Niagara's medical officer of health, said a made-in-Niagara response to crystal meth is only in its beginning stages. She said there have been early discussions among the health department, mental-health organizations and the police. While meth is in Niagara, it has not become a commonplace street drug yet. "The big drugs in Niagara, from our perspective, are still alcohol and marijuana," Williams said. "But you have to keep in mind there is a lag between what is going on the street and data collection." NRP officers are finding the drug on the streets, although they have not reported any large busts. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin