Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA) 
Pubdate: Thu, 21 May 1998
Contact:  
Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/ 
Author: ANDY BRUNO AND STEVEN CHAE Mercury News Staff Writers

DECONGESTANT LIMITS LEAVE CUSTOMER COLD

Q: The Mountain View Costco store has a policy that limits sales of 
over-the-counter decongestants to two packages per customer. The 
pharmacist said the policy was in accordance with some Drug 
Enforcement Administration regulation but he didn't know which one. 
What is this all about?

- -- John Carr, Mountain View

A: Costco voluntarily agreed to establish the two-package limit for 
sales of over-the-counter cold medicines, says a DEA spokeswoman. The 
pharmacist you spoke with was probably referring to the Comprehensive 
Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996, intended to limit manufacturing 
and use of the drug methamphetamine, more commonly known as crank or 
speed. Two substances commonly found in cold remedies, pseudoephedrine 
and phenylpropanolamine, are necessary ingredients in the manufacture 
of methamphetamine. One of those substances can be found in the 
popular over-the-counter medications Sudafed, Actifed, Tylenol Cold, 
Contac, Tavist D and NyQuil, among others. The act limits retail sales 
to 24 grams of pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine base per 
transaction.

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