Pubdate: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 Source: Courier-Journal, The (KY) Copyright: 2005 The Courier-Journal Contact: http://www.courier-journal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/97 Note: Only publishes local LTEs Author: Lesley Stedman Weidenbener Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) BID TO REDUCE METH PRODUCTION STALLS Conferee Dislikes Cold Medicine Curbs INDIANAPOLIS -- The chairman of a House-Senate committee considering legislation meant to curb methamphetamine production said yesterday that he won't agree to provisions backed by the governor to put cold medicines behind pharmacy counters. Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, told the four-member committee yesterday that he wants to explore options to keep decongestants containing pseudoephedrine out of the hands of criminals and drug users but still make them convenient for law-abiding customers. "I want to find every other alternative there is," he said. "I'm going to have big-time trouble putting everything behind the counter." Last week Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican, said he wanted lawmakers to send him legislation requiring pharmacists to dispense the medicines. That means convenience stores, as well as discount and grocery stores without pharmacies, could no longer sell the medicines. Daniels said customer inconvenience may be necessary to fight what he believes is one of Indiana's most devastating problems. But Young said he is confident Daniels will sign any legislation that puts restrictions on pseudoephedrine sales. Young's conference committee is seeking a compromise on Senate Bill 444. As passed by the House, the bill would make about 400 current over-the-counter medicines -- such as Sudafed -- Schedule V drugs. That means they could be dispensed only by a pharmacist and would be kept behind a pharmacy counter. Buyers would have to show an ID to purchase them and sign a log. That proposal is modeled after legislation in Oklahoma and is similar to that passed earlier this year in Kentucky. The Senate-passed version of the bill is based on laws in California and Illinois, and it restricts the amount of cold medicine a customer can buy to no more than 96 tablets or three grams. It also requires stores to take other actions to keep the medicines secure - -- keeping the packages in a locked case, requiring identification for purchase, keeping a log of buyers or using anti-theft devices, for example. Daniels said last week that states requiring the medicines to be purchased from pharmacists have been the most successful at fighting the clandestine drug labs, where dealers extract the pseudoephedrine from the medicines and use it to make methamphetamine. Yesterday, Jason Barclay, a legislative liaison for the governor, said Daniels "didn't come to that decision easily." "By not acting strongly . Indiana could become the clearinghouse for the purchase of pseudoephedrine," Barclay said. "The danger is too real." State and local law enforcement officials also said yesterday that they support the stricter policies, even if they do inconvenience customers. Steve Johnson, director of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, said he doesn't believe the Senate version of the bill is strong enough. He wants the legislation to require customers to ask for the medicines, show an ID and sign a log, all steps he said paranoid meth users are unlikely to take. But retailers said yesterday that law-abiding customers are also reluctant to show an ID or sign a log simply to buy cold medicine. "Many consumers don't want to ask for product so they go without," said Gregory Fox, a pharmacy merchandiser for Kroger stores. He said customers also have questions about what will happen to the information they would provide on a purchase log. Micah Wilkerson, a loss prevention supervisor for Walgreen's stores in Southern Illinois, showed lawmakers how a digital camera can be used to prevent theft and track purchases of pseudoephedrine. He said some stores also use locked cases and other measures to deter drug dealers from buying pseudoephedrine products. Grant Monahan, president of the Indiana Retail Council, said that Indiana has only 80 round-the-clock pharmacies. That's not enough to handle the business of 6 million Hoosiers, he said. Young plans to reconvene the conference committee on Monday to try to work out a compromise that can receive final votes in the House and Senate before adjournment, scheduled for next Friday. Rep. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, said yesterday that he believes lawmakers can reach an agreement by the deadline. "We'll consider all the options and come back on Monday in a spirit of compromise," Koch said. He said lawmakers agree on the goal. "It's just a matter of how we get there," he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom