By Rose Krzton-Presson
Kentucky – House Representative Brent Yonts of Greenville is pre-filing a bill to control over the counter sales of pseudoephedrine- a common ingredient in both cold medicine and methamphetamine.
Representative Yonts says the bill would use a system already in place at pharmacies that monitors how much individuals buy. The system currently notifies pharmacists if the individual purchased more than 9 grams of pseudoephedrine- in the last 30 days. Yonts wants to add information to include whether the individual has been convicted of a meth-related crime. Then, he says, they will have to go to the doctor and get a prescription.
"It's an effort to control methamphetamine. Punishing those who abuse the system rather than the 98 or 99 percent of the population that legitimately use these products for their families."
A similar bill to require prescriptions for medicines containing pseudoephedrine failed in last year's general assembly. Yonts says he believes this bill has a better chance moving through both chambers because it is designed not act to affect people who are simply buying cold medicines for their intended purposes. Kentucky's General Assembly meets again on January 3rd.