Indiana panel OKs allowing prescriptions for cold medicines
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/article56893938.html
For several years, all Indiana Pharmacies have been using this national database for PSE sales called NPLEx http://www.appriss.com/nplex.html not sure how much tax money Indiana had to spend to fund this system’s operation. IMO.. the system had to major flaws, first of all a driver license is required and there is no way to validate the driver’s license against something like the BMV’s online database and once a driver’s license number and information is entered into the system.. the next time that the (unverified) driver’s license is presented and the number is entered into the NPLEx website… the rest of the screen’s data points SELF POPULATE and confirmation bias kicks in for the pharmacy staff. As long as that particular driver’s license had not tried to purchase more PSE than required by law.. the PSE is sold to the person presenting the driver’s license. The fact that Indiana is one of the states with the most meth lab busts… so it would appear that the NPLEx system is a absolute failure without the ability to validate driver’s licenses… BUT does the politicians do the obvious thing and give pharmacies the ability to validate licenses so as to make NPLEx workable.. NOPE !!!!
INDIANAPOLIS
Pharmacists are one step closer to gaining the authority to require a prescription for certain cold medicines as the Indiana House explores proposals to undermine methamphetamine cooks.
With no opposition, the measure passed the House Public Health Committee on Wednesday.
The bill is a stripped-down version of a prescription-only mandate for pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient for meth production.
Republican Rep. Ben Smaltz of Auburn originally wanted that mandate for all sales of pseudoephedrine, but decided to scale the measure back after skepticism from House Public Health Committee chairwoman Cindy Kirchhofer and other House members.
“We have done almost everything we can to stop meth labs in Indiana, short of making pseudoephedrine a prescription drug,” Smaltz said in a statement. “After working closely with pharmacists and physicians, I believe we have crafted a bill that would take a significant step toward curbing meth production in our state, while also considering the convenience of law-abiding Hoosiers.”
Oregon and Mississippi are the only two states to require a prescription for all pseudoephedrine sales, although many other states have attempted to pass similar legislation.
Indiana has led the nation in meth lab seizures for the last three years.
The prescription requirement has been considered several times in Indiana to combat the trend but foundered amid fierce debate between pharmaceutical companies and law enforcement organizations.
Under this year’s revised proposal, people who have rapport with pharmacies will be able to buy as much pseudoephedrine medicine as federal law permit. For those with whom the pharmacy is not familiar, pharmacists may recommend tamper-resistant products or a limited amount of pseudoephedrine. If a customer refuses both of those options, the pharmacists can request a proof of prescription.
Smaltz said the state Board of Pharmacy will set guidelines for how pharmacists will make determinations and have the authority to punish pharmacists who violate the guidelines. The board was unavailable for comment Wednesday.
Rep. Steve Davisson of Salem said empowering the pharmacists to decide makes sense. He is a licensed pharmacist and voted for the measure.
“That’s what pharmacists do,” he said. “They consult. And as you ask those questions, you get a feel for the type of people.”
The committee also passed a bill to ban drug offenders from buying pseudoephedrine without a prescription.
Filed under: General Problems
from a few years later…Oregon nixed PSE except by Rx a few years ago to “fix the meth problem.” You can only get 20 pills a month & it became very expensive. For someone who took the stuff for 40+ years & gets horrendous sinus headaches to go with the migraines, this was dire.
Wanna guess how well the meth problem got fixed due to this bold step?
Most people – who knew what the hell was going on – abt 80% was being imported from Mexico and reportedly those producing the illegal meth had ample capability to up production to meet demand. probably the only thing that they cut was local meth labs and all the cost associated with the clean up of those labs – when they were raided… which can be substantial
Yup.
Yet another example of them doing something completely off base to fix a problem. It’s like deciding you need a deer or you’ll starve to death, & then going out & shooting a bunch of trees. A deer might drop from hunger at some point, but it’s not really going to get you a meal.
Surprisingly (not!) they stopped giving much air time to the huge shipments of meth coming in from out of state to fill the gaps from the local labs. Imagine that.
It appears that you can’t buy Claritin-D on Amazon. But you can buy MucinexDM, which I thought was interesting, especially when you look it up on Google. If you click on the “controlled substance” for MucinexDM, you are sent to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.
Just all part of the drug war…
Buy generic Mucinex at the Dollar Tree (DM too). The Guai is good for pain also. I was a guinea pig for a trial of using Guia for Fibro pain. I find it doesn’t work for me, but for sinusitis it’s better than anything else. It really breaks down congestion if you take enough (600mg for me).
I’m gonna check into this, thanks so much for the information. 🙂
I live in Alabama and their solution to the database and license check? Just quit carrying it. I only need sudafed about once a year but it’s hell going from pharmacy to pharmacy with a sinus headache trying to find any and getting treated like a common drug addict. I order it online at Amazon now and just make sure I have a pack on hand.
Damn, I was hoping to move to Oregon in the future, but not if I have to buy my Claritin-D through a doctor. Who can afford that? If the drug is only available through a prescription, does insurance cover it?
” . . . the authority to punish pharmacists . . . ” This is PART of the whole problem with the war on drugs! Now I’m not saying that any pharmacist shouldn’t be “watched” if they are obviously moving lots & lots of opiates or pseudoephedrine BUT why does the DEA, FDA, DHS & all the other alphabet soup agencies keep putting this responsibility on the pharmacist! If a damn doctor writes a prescription (not stolent) and he/she has a valid medical license then that prescription should be filled (nothing wrong with verification!) I get so aggravated at some of my pharmacists but they are being put in a horrible position! They are NOT doctors! If you (the collective you) do not want pharmacists selling pseudoephedrine then they should make it sold only by Rx OR just let them sell the stuff outright OR have some other way to track it besides having a rapport with the customer! OMG, how arbitrary can a process be! Sorry . . . probably none of that made sense but this whole thing just makes me SOOO angry! I am in PAIN – sometimes to the point of tears & they (alphabet soup) just keep reducing my meds. I’m basically down to almost nothing. No pain control! Thankfully I have a great pharmacist . . . known her for years. But what happens if she quits or moves away or . . . I would still have a valid Rx but then if I don’t have a “rapport” with my pharmacist maybe I won’t be able to get it filled! This is asinine! OK, I’ll step off my soap box now!
Hun a lot of people are having these same issues. Please look up and join my group Unifying Chronic Pain Warriors. We are fighting CDC and laying it all out there we also have connections with other pain sites. I’m an Ambassador for US Pain Foundation. Things are gonna get ugly but we need to stick together. My group is public provides lots of information. You can share anything. Also if you just need to vent we will listen.
Kryste Southwick
Wonder if Rep Davisson even works behind the counter….I knew a couple of state reps that even though it’s supposed to be a PART TIME.job, they ended up spending more time on it than their regular day job.