I have discovered that it might be a good idea to add some over the counter cold medications to your first aid kit because they can be hard to come by, especially here in Ohio. It is a problem now because people are buying over the counter meds to make illegal drugs in meth labs so you can't buy a lot of cold medications unless the pharmacy happens to be open. If you need them after hours, you are just plain out of luck. I found this out when I needed some last week and it was late at night and the pharmacy at wally world was closed. Only thing on the shelf was those neat plastic cards to redeem at the pharmacy for cold medication. Once again, the bad guys are making it hard for the law-abiding.

Yeah, it's frustrating. Not long ago I tried to buy some cold medicine that contained pseudoephedrine. I took several of the cards up to the pharmacy desk. They told me I could only have two at a time. I said, "OK. I'll take two, go for a stroll around the store and come back for two more." They apologized and said I'd have to go to another store if I wanted to buy more than two in a day. So I decided I'd just take the two. As they were ringing everything up, they asked for my ID. What?! Yep, they had to log my purchase. "Well, as long as I've got my ID out, I'll take some ammo and a pack of cigarettes, too!" (I don't smoke; just being ornery.) Got a chuckle and an apology. Costco's a good place to buy OTC meds. You'll still have to jump through a hoop or two, but you can get a whole lot more for your trouble.

They've been doing that since spring. Most pharmacies have something like that now, either by choice or by law. For the chains, it makes sense to have a policy that is company wide, it's just a CYA issue if there are enough states that have similiar laws. For the locals, I think it's them trying to be proactive to head of a proibition. I think some states were looking at banning the sale of psuedoephidrine as an OTC, or at least they were a few months ago.

And without it, I'd just hibernate through pollen season. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I don't know about other states, but in OR and WA they are tracking the purchases in a central computer system.

Sue

the worst part of it is, that psuedoephidrine is the only thing that really helps with a head cold. the new forumulations that you can buy over the counter don't do anything for a cold but remove money from your wallet

Too many entries in the database may make us permanently stuffed up people look like criminals.

Yes, I believe it all started in California.. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I feel almost apologetic for the "wacky" laws this state puts out..

I believe that having some OTC cold meds in the home FAK is a good idea. Mostly because when the cold hits, I usually don't what to have to go out, I want to stay home and be sick.

My local Rite-Aid in California now swipes the mag stripe on my driver's license. I asked why, and was told that it limits my purchase to one per day chain-wide. I don't know for sure, but I have to believe that information is available to the DEA, if they wanted to see it.

So, it seems that we have prescription drugs, true OTC unregulated-to-purchase drugs, and something in-between.

I was discussing this with one of our drug task force guys. He told me that meth is still at the same street price, so this "proceedure" is probably not working to limit meth production.

The perception that we are doing something about the drug problem is the important thing. Whether or not it actually works is irrelevant.

We in the UK have that problem with asprin and related products. With these it is supposed to discourage suicide attempts.

Huh? That makes no sense. Who actually tries to ofrf themselves using aspirin? I am sure that it would work, but ther are so many other methods.

Is this actually a problem there?

It's paracetamol as well as aspirin. I gather there were around 200 deaths a year, and a fair number of liver transplants. After the legislation (in 1998), the figures dropped by around 20%. Of course, those 40 people may have just killed themselves with a different method, but that's probably a good thing in that these pills are said to be one of the least pleasant ways to die. (They destroy your liver and then it takes a week to die, with no cure other than a liver transplant. Not recommended.)

Some references:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/172674.stm
http://www.pharmweb.net/pwmirror/pwy/paracetamol/pharmwebpicsizeleg.html

Instead of buying psuedefed try benedril and dimeatap instead. besides they give you beyyer symtom coverage than just one medicine

"Who actually tries to off themselves using aspirin?"
.....and tylenol... In my experience, children and adolescents.

With regard to the buying limits on pseudoephedrine, whether or not it is helping depends on the local meth lab situations. I'm told it is helping where I live. But anyway, the number I've been legally permitted to buy has been enough for several courses of treatment, so I can live with the PITA.

For your carry FAK consider NOT using a combination product. For my in-the-field-FAK I use benedryl (in the US they're available OTC at 25mg. dosages) BECAUSE it can make me drowsy in the 50-100mg dosage and thus can pinch-hit for an occasional sleeping pill. There are also (for many people) some mild anti-vertigo properties..thus it can help motion sickness for some of us. And it seems to act faster as an antihistamine for insect stings than does loratadine (at least for me). I use pseudoephedrine if I need the decongestant effect.

For my AT HOME, every day use..space and multi-function not an issue.. I don't care about the alternative uses of diphenhydramine so loratadine (Claratin) is o.k. But I don't use Claratin-D (the D being...pseudoephedrine..) I use the regular.. and add the D .. pseudoephedrine as needed.
For me, typically what "they" decide is the right combination of the two isn't what I decide. So I avoid the combined products. FWIW

Also, I'd not use Dimetapp with Benedryl. Dimetapp uses the antihistamine Brompheniramine. You'd be getting two antihistamines, and I don't understand why that would be helpful. Dimetapp also contains as a decongestant the drug Phenylpropanolamine: which has been associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding into the brain or into tissue surrounding the brain) in women. Men may also be at risk. Although the risk of hemorrhagic stroke is low, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that consumers not use any products that contain phenylpropanolamine. Now I guess I'll get flamed by the Dimetapp lobby. But this is just my preference YMMV

If you paid any method other than cash, a simple court order (or politely worded request on the right letter head) could tell them that. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Let's see... Benedril may make you sleepy (don't plan on walking far, much less in a straight line) and sudafed may make you sleepy (sit down, take med, count to 50).

Me, I'm sticking with relying on something that won't put my lights out or leave me a little punchy. Bad thing when firearms, cars, knives or someplace other than your living room is invloved. :P

Sad part of all of it is the Meth Heads already were using something else.
Here in Oregon a prescription is required now for any type phedrine, pseudo or otherwise and still gets ID checked and logged.

Cheers!



That'd be "foot powder", right?

update: well I went to Sam's club over the weekend and picked up two of the plastic cards for Sudafed with pseudophedrine and had to wait for the pharmacist to get back from lunch. I produced the two plastic cards and asked what the current law was? and was I limited to one or two packages. He replied two packages and then stated the law is changing again very soon. Then I had to produce a driver's license which was scanned and entered into the computer. He advised I would probably have to show ID again when I purchased them at the front check out since I had other shopping to do. Surprised I didn't have to be fingerprinted and photographed as well. I feel like a criminal and all I want to do is get over this head cold. What is this country coming to? <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />