Sudafed Off the Shelf

Pseudoephedrine is the active ingredient in the over-the-counter medication named Sudafed®, along with other cold and cough or decongestant medications. When Sudafed, or other cough and cold remedies containing pseudoephedrine, is taken, the drug causes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and then causes bronchodialition and restriction of the mucous membranes of the nasal passages. When used to treat cold and cough or congestion symptoms, and taken per the packaged instructions, Sudafed, with the active ingredient pseudoephedrine, is a safe and effective medication.

However, as with any medication, there is a potential for misuse or abuse. There has been documented cases of athletes taking Sudafed®, know as Sudeys on the street, prior to a game to help them get ‘pumped up’ before playing. More commonly known, though, is the use of Sudafed, which is relatively inexpensive and easy to acquire, as a base ingredient for making methamphetamine. Meth, as this drug is more commonly known, is a very dangerous and highly addictive drug, both in its production and use.

Because of the increase in the use of Sudafed in the dangerous manufacturing of meth as an illegal drug, many states have pulled Sudafed and other medications containing pseudoephedrine from the shelves of local stores. Many of these states now require any medication containing the active ingredient in Sudafed to be carried only behind the counter at a pharmacy, and even then, some states require the buyer to present photo ID to purchase the medication.

Pfizer, the maker of Sudafed, has responded to the problems associated with the active ingredient in Sudafed by changing its formula and providing a new version called Sudafed PE®. Instead of pseudoephedrine, the active ingredient in Sudafed PE is Phenylephrine. (retrieved on 09/23/06 from: http://www.sudafed.com/formula.html)

The problem with these new laws is in the effect that these regulations have on the average consumer who would never think of using Sudafed for anything other than cold and cough symptoms. Most pharmacies are not open 24-hours, so what happens when one wakes in the middle of the night and cannot breathe or has a hacking cough? The consumer would have to choose from one of the other brands or less effective ingredients in the medications that are allowed to still be sold on the shelves, since the pharmacy has all the pseudoephedrine products behind the counter.

Now, while a prescription is still not required to purchase this drug, the amount you can purchase is limited and the government and state officials have a right to inquire into your personal drug purchasing habits if there is suspected abuse. How much is too much Sudafed to trigger the alarms? No one truly knows, because there is no clear ‘rule’ or law on the books that addresses this issue.

On top of that, what about stores that do not have pharmacies but still sell over the counter cough and cold medications? These stores would no longer be able to sell any products containing pseudoephedrine at all, losing a good chunk of potential sales. Stores that do not comply with these regulations could face serious sanctions and fines, up to and including the loss of the pharmacy licenses.

In the end, it seems that instead of the government cracking down on illegal drug manufacturing and use, the innocent consumers and pharmacies are the ones who are receiving sanctions and punishments. Honestly, it probably isn’t going to halt or even drastically slow down the production of meth on the street, and all these regulations really do is cause inconvenience to consumer and pharmacy alike, as well as costing both extra money.

With the rising costs of prescription drug medications and an increase in regulation on over the counter medications, America is fast becoming a society where only the wealthy or fortunate are going to be able to afford medication and health care. Of course, that is indeed quite a leap to make in an article pertaining to putting Sudafed behind a pharmacy counter, but this action definitely does seem to be the beginning of a trend.

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• Michelle L Devon is a freelance writer, providing write for hire services through her website, Accentuate Services. For more information or to hire Ms. Devon’s services, you can visit her website at www.AccentuateServices.com.