What the Future Holds for Pseudoephedrine

The manufacturing of methamphetamine is really getting out of hand due to the easy access of pseudoephedrine products. More drastic steps are being made concerning pseudoephedrine sales in order to combat the problem. There have been suggests made about “replacing the nasal decongestant pseudoephedrine (PDE) with phenylephrine (PE) as a means of controlling the illicit production of methamphetamine” (cat.inist). Extensive research has been done on this substitution; a lot of pharmaceutical researchers believed that this would be a great solution. However, phenylephrine has been found to be a poor substitute for pseudoephedrine in cold medicines. So, this has not turned out to be a successful solution to combating the abuse of pseudoephedrine products.

There have also been steps made to “modernize record keeping for the sale of over-the-counter pseudoephedrine products by replacing the current manual log with an electronic log...[There is] no central repository for the logs, so individuals could visit different pharmacies and retailers, thereby avoiding the limits set in statute” (Hawaii.gov). Pharmacies are beginning to log sales on a computer in order to network sales at different pharmacies through the Internet. This is having a significant effect on pseudoephedrine sales by cutting down its number of sales. Now, buyers of this product cannot as easily purchase pseudoephedrine. Methamphetamine manufacturers are having a more difficult time buying large amounts of the product; they can no longer drive around purchasing pseudoephedrine at every store in town.

Pseudoephedrine sales have been cut down drastically due to research and restrictions made for pharmacies. Through my research and experiences of working at a pharmacy, I have observed a drop in pseudoephedrine sales once the laws were properly enforced. I believe a majority of the abuse problem has come from pharmacies not enforcing the laws strictly. Loop holes for methamphetamine producers can easily be found when pharmacies do not choose to follow the rules. I also believe that even though pseudoephedrine sales have dropped, methamphetamine producers will always find a way to make the product. Thus, government needs to continue to develop and strictly enforce laws on pseudoephedrine sales.

Works Cited:

Cat.inist. <http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=18488205>

Hawaii Government. <http://hawaii.gov/ltgov/news/releases/2008%20News%20Releases /june/governor-lingle-signs-bills-to-combat-illegal-drug>

Cracking Down on Pseudoephedrine Sales

Pharmacies across America have begun to crack down on the sales of pseudoephedrine products due to the use of the production of the illegal drug methamphetamine. Laws have been made by the government in order to solve lessen the problem of methamphetamine being manufactured with pseudoephedrine. One law is “the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005, [which] has been incorporated into the Patriot Act signed by President Bush on March 9, 2006. The act bans over-the-counter sales of cold medicines that contain the ingredient pseudoephedrine, [and sales are]…limited to behind the counter. The amount of pseudoephedrine that an individual can purchase each month is [also] limited” (FDA). At the pharmacy where I work, for example, we are required by law to keep a log of all pseudoephedrine sales (pictured above). The log contains the buyer’s name, address, and license number. We also write down the brand of medicine that contains pseudoephedrine and the quantity bought.

There have also been laws set that restrict buyers of pseudoephedrine to only purchasing a maximum amount of 2400 mg. For example the “Methamphetamine Anti-Proliferation Act (MAPA) limits the thresholds of pseudoephedrine drug products to 9 gram single transactions with the package size not to exceed 3 grams” (DEA). This makes the purchases of large amounts of pseudoephedrine more difficult. The less pseudoephedrine bought, the less methamphetamine manufactured. At least this was the goal of the laws.

However, drug users have found ways around the system. At major chains, such as Wal-mart and Walgreen’s, logs are computerized into a network containing pseudoephedrine logs. This makes keeping track of buyers’ records of pseudoephedrine purchases much easier and stricter. The downfall comes from small pharmacy chains, like where I work. Handwritten logs cannot be plugged into the network that easily keeps track of suspicious sales. Plus, the state never bothers to check the logs; we are just required to keep them for a few years. Our two pseudoephedrine logs have been sitting in the same drawer since 2006. So, it is very easy for drug abusers to come in and purchase pseudoephedrine products more often. However, our pharmacy opted to discontinue the sale of Sudafed 24 Hour—the most commonly bought product intended for manufacturing methamphetamine due to its high dosage of pseudoephedrine. Suspicious drug abuses do not come in as much anymore, and the request for Sudafed 24 Hour has become very rare.

Regulations have been set by the government across the United States, but the system’s flaws have made it easy for methamphetamine producers to find a back door. Sales have slightly decreased, but what is the future of pseudoephedrine products? I will discuss this topic in my next and final blog entry.

Works Cited:

Drug Enforcement Administration. http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/brochures/pseudo/pseudo_notice.htm

United States Food and Drug Administration. <http://www.fda.gov/CDER/news/methamphetamine.htm>

Pseudoephedrine's Illegal Circulation

Pseudoephedrine is helpful in curing colds, but drug addicts and dealers have begun using it for illegal purposes. “Meth cooks are using sniffle pills to manufacture methamphetamine,” also known as meth (Roosevelt). Pills containing pseudoephedrine have been circulated into the drug market for use; it is the main ingredient in meth. “This new breed of lab,” as described by Drug Enforcement Administration agent Dennis Wichern, “is using pseudoephedrine that can be [easily] bought at retail stores.” He goes on to describe his surprise at the use of this over-the-counter drug in methamphetamine. Pseudoephedrine’s easy-access has helped contribute to the expansion and availability of methamphetamine in the illegal drug circuit.

Drug traffickers buy pseudoephedrine, but how is it processed in able to make illegal drugs? The “‘pseudo’ is extracted from the cold pills, and cooked with other chemicals like iodine and anhydrous ammonia…over high heat” (Jefferson). The resulting compound is methamphetamine. This recipe can be found in how-to articles circulating the Internet. The use of pseudoephedrine for the manufacturing of meth is becoming increasingly popular, so drug retailers have begun placing pseudoephedrine products behind the counter. Government laws have also been enacted in order to solve the escalating problem. These actions have been taken in order to lessen pseudoephedrine’s illegal uses. I will discuss the legal actions taken in my next blog entry.

Works Cited:

Jefferson, David J. “America’s Most Dangerous Drug.” Newsweek 8 Aug. 2005

Roosevelt, Margot. “The Cold-Pill Crackdown.” Time 30 Jan. 2005.

Wichern, Dennis. “The War on Meth.” Newsweek 31 Jul. 2005.

Legal Uses

Pseudoephedrine is “a decongestant marketed as an ingredient in hundreds of over-the-counter medications” (Shotwell). It is easily accessed; pharmacies across the nation carry this product in many different forms, brands, and quantities. It is usually prepared in pairs with other drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil Cold & Sinus), hydrochlorides (Sudafed products), and antihistamines (Claritin-D and Zyrtec-D). Its many forms in these over-the-counter drugs help contribute to curing or lessening the effects of many nasal sicknesses. This includes allergy symptoms, colds, coughs, and sinus infections. The legal uses of pseudoephedrine are solely used for helping to cure the common cold and decongest the sinuses. "A five-day course" of taking any product containing this decongestant usually does the trick in curing sicknesses (Lee and Kim). Pseudoephedrine is quick to cure, thus, leading to its popularity among consumers.

Pseudoephedrine’s legal use is very helpful for curing the common cold and sinus infections. However, the expansion of this product's circulation and its increasing availability has also led to its abuse. Drug abusers have now begun using pseudoephedrine to produce the illegal drug methamphetamine (commonly known as meth in our society). It is now being used to manufacture this illegal drug; I will discuss this topic in my next blog entry.

Sources Cited:
Lee, Jaechun, Miok Kim, Jeong Hong Kim, Young Ree Kim, Sohyung Kim, and Yeol Kim. “A Cheaper, Faster Way to Resolve Chronic Cough.” Journal of Family Practice. 56.8 (August 2007): 641-646. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. http://ezp.tccd.edu:2358/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=26344292&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Shotwell, Brad J. “Molecule of the Month.” Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry. 7.14 (July 2007): 1423-1423. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. http://ezp.tccd.edu:2358/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=26382108&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site>.

Photo Credit:
http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/04/18_scheckt_target/images/sudafed_large.jpg

Pseudoephrine: why it has sparked my interest.

Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant used in common over-the-counter cold drugs such as Sudafed products, Advil Cold & Sinus, and Claratin-D. However, pseudoephedrine has easily transitioned into the illegal drug circuit. Many drug users use pseudoephedrine to manufacture methamphetamine (meth). It is commonly sold in pharmacies and is easily accessed; these conveniences are probably reasons it is becoming popular among drug producers.
I chose to research pseudoephedrine because it has caught my curiosity while working as a clerk at a small-chain pharmacy. I have witnessed many potential drug abusers coming into the pharmacy to buy pseudoephedrine products, especially Sudafed-24 hour. Sudafed-24 hour is the strongest dose of pseudoephedrine sold over the counter. The state has required all pharmacies to keep a log of all pseudoephedrine sales in order to keep track of purchases by suspected drug abusers.
My research will explore the laws taken to reduce the abuse problem, my observations in the pharmacy, interviews from the pharmacy manager, and the effects and use of the abused product. Because I want to be a Pharmacist, I hope my research from this research blog will assist my future studies. I want to learn more about state-required procedures for pharmacies, pseudoephedrine uses and abuses, and how illegal drug producers use pseudoephedrine to manufacture methamphetamine. I believe this project will help me as I go into my major of pre-Pharmacy next fall.