Legislators slow down cold medicine proposal

The move to restrict sales of some cold medicines used to make methamphetamine, a highly addictive illegal drug, hit a speed bump Thursday when some legislators voiced opposition to the inconvenience the act would cause.

The Meth Lab Prevention Act, discussed in a Senate judiciary committee Thursday, would move cold and sinus medicine containing pseudoephedrine behind the pharmacy counter. Pseudoephedrine, a decongestant, is the critical ingredient in meth manufacturing.

The legislation would require customers purchasing the drugs to show a valid photo ID and to sign their names.

Some senators say the bill would take cold tablets away from grocery stores and other outlets without a pharmacist, spoiling the chances of a late-night medicine run for a runny-nosed child.

Others worry about the inconvenience of having to show a photo ID to obtain the medicine.

Some pharmacists also said the law would cause inefficiency, forcing them to perform extra work.

Stephen Gathy, a Chapel Hill pharmacist, said he does not think the legislation is necessary.

“If over-the-counter medicine is the only source of the problem, I would support the legislation,” he said.

“But there are other sources. The legislation is only going to impede people who have colds from obtaining the cold medicine they need.”

Gathy also said he worries that the legislation would force pharmacists and officers to do more paperwork.

“Is the state going to hire more people to walk around different stores and check the paperwork?”

He added that the meth problem in the area is not serious.

“How many meth labs are there within 10 miles of Chapel Hill?” he asked. “And how many meth labs are there in North Carolina when compared with other states?”

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 322 meth labs were busted by law enforcement officers in North Carolina in 2004, compared to 1,594 in Tennessee. But North Carolina has seen an increase in meth production during the past five years — in 1999, it only busted nine labs.

But state Sen. Walter Dalton, a Rutherford County Democrat and primary sponsor of the bill, said the low detection rate does not mean the problem is not serious, adding that many officers are not well-trained in detecting meth production.

Dalton also said he disagrees that the legislation would inconvenience the average person, since only cold medicines in solid form would be moved behind the counter.

Those in liquid and gel cap form, which account for 57 percent of the cold medicines sold, would still be readily accessible, he said.

He also said the process outlined in the bill isn’t complicated, either. “All the customers have to do is to sign their names and show their photo IDs,” Dalton said.

A similar law moving cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine behind the counter passed unanimously in the Tennessee legislature earlier this month, prompting some concern that Tennessee meth labs could migrate across the border to North Carolina.

Pharmacists record purchasers’ addresses and driver’s license numbers in addition to the quantity of medicine customers buy, said Andrew Morris, a pharmacist at a CVS in Crossville, Tenn. Employees also record their initials as an extra safeguard.

“It caused some problems, but what we are trying to prevent is a much worse problem,” Morris said, adding that the meth problem in Crossville is the worst he has ever seen.

The Tennessee bill was passed unanimously in both the state House and Senate. Dalton said he expects similar support for the final version of the bill in North Carolina, but he added that there could be debate before the legislation is finalized.

“When people recognize the magnitude of the problem, they would support the legislation.”

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.