By Staff
Clif Knight
Local druggists are sympathetic to the problems caused by the illegal use of over-the-counter cold medications to make methamphetamines and are taking steps to make them harder to purchase.
Mike Preuitt, a co-owner and pharmacist at Gilchrist Pharmacy, said large-count bottles of Sudafed, a popular cold medication containing pseudoephedrine have been removed from shelves in front of the store to the back and have to be asked for by the customer.
Preuitt said the level of concern about methamphetamines is rising among elected officials because they have become so prevalent and are causing so much damage to users and their families. A new law in Oklahoma requires sales of Sudafed to be logged in order that the purchaser can be identified by name and address.
Preuitt said Pfizer is now making Sudafed PE as an alternative to Sudafed.
recommended for the same cold symptoms but contains phenalephedrine instead of pseudoephedrine and can't be broken down easily and converted into meth," he pointed out.
At CVS Pharmacy, large quantities of Sudafed and other cold medications containing ephedrine have been pulled off the shelf and made available only by request through the pharmacy department.