January 19, 2016

Lawmakers Consider Giving Pharmacists The OK To Reject Cold Med Sales

Lawmakers are set to consider a proposal that would give pharmacists the authority to turn away suspicious customers trying to buy a common cold medicine that's used to make methamphetamine. - file photo

Lawmakers are set to consider a proposal that would give pharmacists the authority to turn away suspicious customers trying to buy a common cold medicine that's used to make methamphetamine.

file photo

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana legislators are set to consider a proposal that would give pharmacists the authority to turn away suspicious customers trying to buy a common cold medicine that's used to make methamphetamine.

The state Senate criminal law committee is scheduled to hold a hearing Tuesday morning on the bill that aims to frustrate meth cookers from acquiring medicines containing pseudoephedrine.

Indiana has for several years been among the states with the most meth lab seizures by police, but Senate and House committee leaders tell The Associated Press that they won't consider bills calling for the more stringent step of requiring a doctor's prescription in order to buy pseudoephedrine medicines.

Opponents of requiring prescriptions say it would be inconvenient for law-abiding allergy and cold sufferers and increase health care costs.

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