House leader says changes may be needed in law on cold medications

The republican leader in the Iowa House says it may be time to do more than just put over-the-counter cold meds used to make meth behind the counter to make it even more difficult to buy ’em. House Republican Leader Chuck Gipp of Decorah says there are flaws in the Oklahoma law which put products like Sudafed behind the counter and forced folks to sign a log when buying those kind of cold medications. Gipp says people in Oklahoma are writing names like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck down when they buy the products. As a result, Gipp says Iowa lawmakers may force people who buy over-the-counter cold medications to swipe their drivers license to track purchases by computer. A computer base could tie all 50 states together and law enforcement could track people who go from one drug store to another, buying the cold meds that are the makings for meth. “If you actually had a photo I-D with a bar code on it that you had to swipe every time, they’d know how much you’re purchasing,” Gipp says. The republican leader in the state Senate is less enthusiastic about the proposal. Senate Co-Leader Stewart Iverson of Dows says the whole debate may be a moot point soon if pharmaceutical companies come up with pills that can’t be crushed to make meth.