Pseudoephedrine (PSE) is a safe and effective active ingredient found in leading cold, allergy, and sinus medicines to provide congestion relief. While over 18 million American families rely on these medicines every year, PSE can also be used in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine. As a result, some policymakers and law enforcement officials in a number of states support requiring a doctor’s prescription to obtain PSE-containing medicines, even though the vast majority of these medicines are sold to law-abiding consumers.
Preventing Illegal Meth Production
CHPA takes the diversion of its members' medicines very seriously and remains committed to working with elected officials to ensure states have the necessary tools to combat illegal sales of PSE. Mandating prescription-only sale of these common cold medicines, however, would be ineffective and burden those who depend on these medicines for relief with unnecessary and costly visits to the doctor.
In a major victory for consumer health, today Mississippi has repealed an 11-year-old law that banned over-the-counter (OTC) sales of certain medicines for colds and allergies containing the decongestant pseudoephedrine (PSE).
On Tuesday, March 9, the Mississippi House voted to repeal the state’s existing ban of over-the-counter (OTC) sales of pseudoephedrine (PSE) on an 117-3 vote. Since 2010, Mississippi has categorized PSE as a schedule III controlled substance.
The DEA invited comments on the proposed rule to revise existing regulations that manage quotas for controlled substances and List I chemicals held by DEA-registered manufacturers. We have comments on three areas within the proposed rule.
CHPA applauds New Hampshire for becoming the 35th state to adopt the real-time, stop-sale technology called the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx), a system used by retailers across the country to help prevent the illegal sale of pseudoephedrine.
CHPA applauds the state of Georgia for becoming the thirty-third state to adopt the real-time, stop-sale technology called the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx).
CHPA highlights the results of a recent five-state survey from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, which found that consumers on the whole, prefer full access to OTC medicine containing pseudoephedrine.
So far, 31 states have adopted real-time, stop-sale technology. The blocking technology monitors all nonprescription PSE purchases in real-time to prevent meth criminals from exceeding legal limits.
Today, the manufacturers of OTC medicines containing pseudoephedrine call on Congress to improve the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act by requiring a unified, national electronic tracking system to block illegal sales of PSE‐containing medicines.
Letter from the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, the Food Marketing Institute, the Healthcare Distribution Management Association, and the National Association of Chain Drugstores regarding controlled substances and Lis I chemical registration application fees.