Meth-friendly cold remedies now restricted.

Byline: Tim Christie The Register-Guard

NEW LAW

Starting today, allergy and cold sufferers in Oregon will need a doctor's prescription to get their favorite medicine if it contains ingredients that can be used to make methamphetamine.

Popular drugs such as Claritin D and Advil Cold and Sinus - and their generic equivalents - that contain pseudoephedrine, ephedrine or phenylpropanolamine now require a prescription and are classified as controlled substances under a new state law that took effect today.

The law is intended to fight the manufacture of methamphetamine by depriving meth cooks of key raw ingredients found in cold medicines.

For busy pharmacists, the new law means less paperwork and less hassle. For the past year, drug stores were required to check drivers' licenses and log sales of drug and allergy medicines that could be used to make meth. Now that ends.

"In some respects it makes things simpler," said Andrew Charter, vice president of pharmacy operations for the Eugene-based Bi-Mart retail chain.

Not all pharmacists like the new law.

Ann Williams, a pharmacist at Jo Dell's Drugs on River Road in Eugene, said she thought the old system, where cold and allergy drugs were sold from behind the counter, was working just fine.

"In my opinion, it's a knee-jerk reaction by our representatives," she said. "Having a third class of drugs behind the counter was working very well."

Law enforcement agencies inspected the sales logs and used them to spot people who were buying large volumes of the medicines and who might be amassing them for meth production.

As today's deadline approached, some patients have tried to stock up on these cold remedies.

Dan Ramirez, manager of the Costco pharmacy on Chad Drive in Eugene, said in recent days families have lined up to each buy the maximum amount of the now-restricted cold medicines.

Consumers also are trying new cold medicines that have been reformulated and no longer contain pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed PE.

"A lot of companies are reformulating and replacing pseudoephedrine with phenylephrin," said Gary Miner, compliance director for the Oregon Board of Pharmacy. "For most people it's just as effective."

Jim Thompson, executive director of the Oregon State Pharmacy Association, said pharmacies may get hit with gripes from consumers who were unaware their favorite medicine is becoming a prescription-only drug.

"There probably will be gnashing of teeth when patients find out they can't get their drugs without a prescription," he said.

And doctors and their office staff likely will be busier taking calls and writing prescriptions for patients who previously just stopped by the drug store.