Iowa retailers are lobbying against the idea of keeping cold meds behind the counter as a way to combat the bulk purchases being made by those who’re making meth. Pseudoephedrine is the prime ingredient in many decongestants sold over-the-counter and meth-makers buy cold meds to get pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in meth. Iowa’s Drug Czar has suggested it’s time to put new restrictions on the sale of over-the-counter cold medications, but Iowa Retail Federation president Jim Henter says forcing retailers to put cold meds behind the counter could force expensive remodeling. Henter says requiring I.D. and a signature to purchase cold meds would also cause problems.Henter says convenience stores and small town groceries don’t have the manpower to deal with I.D. and logs for cold medicines. Henter says clerks are being told to call authorities when someone makes a huge purchase of cold medication. But Todd Jones, a state drug agent, says some retailers let things slide.Jones says in the interest of public safety, there need to be limits placed on the sale of cold meds that contain pseudoephedrine. Jones would like to see those cold medicines sold by a pharmacist, like cough syrup with codene. But Representative Bob Osterhaus, a democrat from Maquoketa who is also a pharmacist, says that’s not politically possible. Osterhaus would support limiting the number of boxes of cold meds a customer can buy at one time. Osterhaus says an adult with a cold doesn’t need 20 tablets of over-the-counter medicine per day, and the limit could work.
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