Pubdate: Thu, 03 Nov 2005
Source: Tribune Review (Pittsburgh, PA)
Copyright: 2005 Tribune-Review Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/460
Author: Caroline Shannon

COLD MEDS MOVE BEHIND THE COUNTER

Pauline Cole, 10, of Jeannette, walked up to the Wal-Mart pharmacy 
counter in Greensburg, stood on her tiptoes and waved a card showing 
a box of Sudafed at the pharmacist.

"Where is this?" she asked, peering over the counter.

"If we have it, it would be on the shelf over there," the pharmacist 
said, pointing to a shelf located next to the pharmacy.

The freckle-faced girl walked over to the shopper-friendly "Cough and 
Cold Express" station and picked up a box of Sudafed.

Pennsylvania pharmacies do not have to restrict sales of medicines 
that contain pseudoephedrine -- such as Sudafed, Tylenol Flu and 
Aleve Sinus & Headache -- but many are doing it on their own. The 
ingredient can be illegally used to make the highly addictive street 
drug, methamphetamine.

The U.S. Senate passed a bill in September that would limit how much 
cold medicine people can buy and require them to show photo 
identification and sign a log.

But for this cold season, at least, the potential for a consumer 
nightmare has proven to be not so much of a hassle at Pittsburgh pharmacies.

"It doesn't surprise me that the drug stores are having some issues 
with (enforcing their policies) because it is voluntary right now," 
said Rob Quigley, executive director of Drug Free Pennsylvania.

Wal-Mart's company-wide policy limits customers' purchases of 
products containing only pseudoephedrine to three per visit. Pharmacy 
employees are told to ask customers for identification proving that 
they are 18 or older.

The store keeps plastic cards showing the picture of the product on 
the shelves in place of the actual product. Customers take the card 
up to the pharmacist and then are directed to a nearby shelf -- only 
a few steps from where the products originally were kept.

Eckerd, CVS and Rite-Aid pharmacies all have similar policies with 
slight variations in the restrictions.

At the Squirrel Hill Rite-Aid store, three shelves are vacant and 
covered with signs directing consumers to the pharmacy. Since August, 
all drugs containing pseudophedrine have been kept out of reach.

A sign states: "Pseudoephedrine, the active ingredient in many nasal 
decongestants, is being chemically altered by criminals to produce 
illegal drugs."

Methamphetamine can be made from commonly available household 
products such as drain cleaner, lithium batteries, rock salt, paint 
thinner and cold medicines.

Kristal Milo, a pharmacist at a CVS store Downtown, said the company 
requires, "anything that has a single entity of pseudoephedrine" to 
be kept behind the counter.

Mike DeAngelis, manager of CVS corporate communications said the 
policy, which was instituted July 1, states that every CVS is limited 
to selling 9 grams of pseudoephedrine to each customer, "which 
equates to 3 boxes or 4 bottles in liquid form."

Milo said she has her doubts about the system.

"People can still get it at flea markets if they are going to abuse 
it," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Beth