Bill Regulating Pseudoephedrine Sales Goes To Governor's Desk

INDIANAPOLIS -- The House and Senate Thursday sent a bill to Gov. Mike Pence that puts restrictions on how much pseudoephedrine some Hoosiers can buy.

Lawmakers opted to advance a slightly less restrictive bill than what they had a day before.

The main point of contention with the bill has been about balance. On one side, lawmakers want to stop meth cooks and their friends from buying pseudoephedrine. On the other, they don’t want to inconvenience innocent customers.

A final change to the bill before it was approved by the House and Senate tilted that balance more in favor of the customer, allowing pharmacists to sell small amounts of pseudoephedrine not only to previous customers, but to any customer they are familiar with.

Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, says he trusts pharmacists to make that decision.

“I have a pharmacist in Auburn that I’ve known forever, and it’s not my regular pharmacy," Smaltz said. "But if I went in, he’s known me since I was a kid, and he knows that I’m not making meth, and if I said ‘Hey Cam, could I get some Claritin-D,’ I want him to be able to say yes.”

A brand new customer looking for larger amounts of the drug would need to have a prescription.

The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for his approval.