Officials eye limits on access to drugs

Councilor targets meth production

By Katheleen Conti, Globe Staff  |  August 14, 2005

Revere officials will ask all city pharmacists and retailers to place over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines containing the key ingredient for the illegal production of methamphetamine behind the counter.

The ingredient, pseudoephedrine, is found in decongestants such as Sudafed, and can be extracted by crushing tablets to be used in the production of meth, a highly addictive drug.

The City Council voted unanimously on July 25 to have the mayor make the request of all city stores. The council also unanimously approved wording of a proposed state law, submitted by Councilor George Rotondo of Ward 4, to make the provision mandatory.

The proposed law calls for a statewide limit on the sale of the medications, and requires that they be kept locked behind a sales counter. Purchasers would have to be at least 18 years old, show photo identification, and sign a log book before getting the medicine. Mayor Thomas G. Ambrosino last week sent a letter notifying 10 different pharmacies and stores in Revere of the council's wishes.

The council's actions come on the heels of national reports that meth use is on the rise and fast becoming an epidemic in some areas of the country.

Many national drugstores have already adopted policies regarding the sale of medications containing pseudoephedrine. Walgreen Co. announced on Aug. 5 that it will move all products containing the ingredient behind the counters by late October in all of its stores nationwide. The company said meth abuse was the reason for the move.

On July 1 CVS Pharmacy began placing pseudoephedrine products behind the counter, also stating concerns over meth use.

Rotondo said that although Massachusetts meth-use statistics do not point to an epidemic, the nationwide trend indicates that meth use will increase. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, as of 2003, 12.3 million Americans 12 and older had tried methamphetamines at least once. Meth abuse is most prevalent in rural areas, especially the West and Midwest.

''It's one of those issues we have to be proactive on and not wait for it to come to our front steps," Rotondo said. ''We shouldn't wait until we find a meth lab here until we do something in Revere."

Rotondo's proposed law outlines restrictions on pseudoephedrines, as well as penalties. Those who knowingly violate the act would face one-year imprisonment, a $1,000 fine, or both.

Less than two weeks ago, Lowell police arrested a 25-year-old man in his apartment on charges that included manufacturing methamphetamine. Steven Shraiar, vice president of the Massachusetts Independent Pharmacists Association, said the lab's existence is unfortunate, but it could serve as the impetus for statewide legislation in controlling the sales of medicines with pseudoephedrine.

''The news [from Lowell] made me smile on one hand and not on the other hand," said Shraiar, a pharmacist who owns Margolis Pharmacy in Chelsea. ''Massachusetts was relatively safe from meth labs, and now they discover one."

As more publicity is given to meth -- which goes by names such as ''speed," ''chalk," ''ice," and ''crystal," -- Shraiar said it's possible that federal legislators are going to want to ''get on the bandwagon for health" and pass nationwide reforms. However, that could be problematic.

''If there's a major problem with [meth use], yes, it could work, but if not, it adds an added burden for pharmacists and customers," Shraiar said. Rotondo, a registered nurse, said any regulations would have to take into consideration customers who really need the medications.

Arthur Januario, a regional pharmacist for a national drugstore chain, including its Revere locations, said measures such as requiring prescriptions for over-the-counter medications would inconvenience everyone from the customer to the insurance companies. Januario spoke on the condition that the chain not be named.

''The insurance companies would have to pay for a prescription for a runny nose, which is silly," Januario said, adding that he would be in favor of a statewide policy that wouldn't require over-the-counter drugs to become prescription drugs, but that would at least limit the sale quantities of the medications.

But, Januario added, ''I suppose people could send somebody in for three [packages], and another three at a different store, but you probably won't see that that often. It will be a small deterrent for the drug abuse people."

The actions by Walgreen Co. and CVS officials to move the medications behind the sales counter are in line with new standards from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, which advocates federal regulation of pseudoephedrine products, as well as a national electronic tracking system of buyers of the drug, according to an association statement.

Kristina Lunner, director of federal government affairs for the American Pharmaceutical Association in Washington, said the association adopted a policy last April that, among other things, supports voluntary placement of over-the-counter drugs behind the counter.

However, the association does not believe in federal involvement in this issue, stating that meth use varies from state to state.

''We believe that regulation should remain at the state level, through the state board of pharmacies," Lunner said. ''The laws and regulations at the state level reflect the local situation. One state may want to do sale limits, and another with a lot of meth abuse may want to do something more extreme, like prescriptions."

Rotondo said he hopes the state Legislature acts on his proposed legislation before meth use becomes a major problem locally.

''It's happening and it's increasing," he said of the meth fad. ''In the '80s it was crank. OxyContin and heroin [use also started] under the radar, and now it's not."

Katheleen Conti can be reached at kconti@globe.com.