SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP/KCBS) -- A crime-fighting bill that would require patients to get a doctor's prescription to buy a common cold remedy was approved in the state senate on Tuesday and is now headed to the state assembly for approval.
The measure, authored by State Senator Roderick Wright of Inglewood, would make it illegal to obtain ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or related drugs without a prescription. According to Wright, 60 percent of pseudoephedrine products sold in California are used to make crystal meth. He says these products used to be prescription drugs before becoming available over the counter. Now, due to federal law, only pharmacists sell these drugs in limited amounts only after a customer presents a valid driver's license.
KCBS’ Larry Chiaroni reports
However, Wright says that those involved in the crystal meth trade have figured out how to get around the federal constraints.
“There’s a concept called ‘smirfing,’ where groups get together, and they just go around to all of the drugs stores in a given area and buy up all of the pseudoephedrine.”
But Republican State Senator Sam Aanestad of Grass Valley, who's also an oral surgeon, says prescriptions would only make these drugs more expensive and is an unneeded burden for consumers.
“This $4.00 of nose spray is now going to cost you $40 to $50. …To subject someone to have to get a doctor’s prescription for a product that is not in jeopardy to patient’s safety, I think is the wrong approach.”
Aansted suggests that instead of prescriptions, pharmacists should limit the amount of medication one person can buy each time.
A 22-10 vote Tuesday sent the bill to the Assembly.
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