"Forget about cocaine and heroin. All you need is NyQuil and Sudafed."
Ok, so I've got this cold. Y'all know that by now. While picking up a prescription for hellbob yesterday I remembered to pick up some NyQuil and DayQuil cough syrup, as we were out of both.
As i was looking at the NyQuil bottles I noticed that they had this on the label:
and I remembered that I had read an article online about NyQuil not working anymore. They took the pseudoephedrine out of it.
Most of the Walgreens brand of it also had the PSE free tag too. There were a couple left that didn't and still had the PSE in it. I grabbed two of those. The DayQuil appeared to still be the good stuff so I grabbed a couple of those too.
After all, why would I buy a product that has had the effective ingredient removed?
With my armful of drugs I headed to the pharmacy to get hellbob's stuff. The pharmacist started ringing up my stuff, but the computer beeped at him. I was only allowed to buy two bottles of the stuff. PSE sales are limited because people are using it to make crystal meth. But to make it they need the pill form of it. Meth can't be made from NyQuil.
So NyQuil changed their formula so that their product would not be required to be behind the pharmacy counter any more. It was required to be behind the counter even though it couldn't be used to make the illegal drugs. The change in formula has prompted me to stock up on bottles of the stuff that have the old formula. I can't stock up on them because their sale is restricted.
What a frickin' pain in the ass!
Between being told I can't buy 4 bottles of cough syrup and the hassles I have to go through every month to get my Ritalin prescription the trips to the pharmacy seem to be trying to make me feel like some kind of drug addict. The irony is that I think I may be the only 35 year old in this country who has never smoked pot, not even once. Yet I keep expecting that on my next trip to the pharmacy to get the drugs I need, I'll have to sign my name to a list of suspected drug abusers.
*edit* The Minnesota Statute's latest ammendment is under here. Essentially there is a limit on how much you can buy, it is required to be kept behind the pharmacy counter, and the buyer must provide photo id w/date of birth & sign a document w/date of sale, name of buyer, & amount of drug bought. It also has a contingency that if the State Board of Pharmacy finds that PSE in gel capsule or liquid form can be used in the manufacture of meth they would require the same restrictions.
This section is effective August 1, 2005,
and applies to crimes committed on or after that date.
Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 152.02,
subdivision 6, is amended to read:
Subd. 6. [SCHEDULE V; RESTRICTIONS ON METHAMPHETAMINE
PRECURSOR DRUGS.] (a) As used in this subdivision, the following
terms have the meanings given:
(1) "methamphetamine precursor drug" means any compound,
mixture, or preparation intended for human consumption
containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as its sole active
ingredient or as one of its active ingredients; and
(2) "over-the-counter sale" means a retail sale of a drug
or product but does not include the sale of a drug or product
pursuant to the terms of a valid prescription.
(b) The following items are listed in Schedule V:
(1) any compound, mixture, or preparation containing any of
the following limited quantities of narcotic drugs, which shall
include one or more nonnarcotic active medicinal ingredients in
sufficient proportion to confer upon the compound, mixture or
preparation valuable medicinal qualities other than those
possessed by the narcotic drug alone;:
(1) (i) not more than 100 milligrams of dihydrocodeine per
100 milliliters or per 100 grams.;
(2) (ii) not more than 100 milligrams of ethylmorphine per
100 milliliters or per 100 grams.;
(3) (iii) not more than 2.5 milligrams of diphenoxylate and
not less than 25 micrograms of atropine sulfate per dosage
unit.; or
(4) (iv) not more than 15 milligrams of anhydrous morphine
per 100 milliliters or per 100 grams; and
(2) any compound, mixture, or preparation containing
ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as its sole active ingredient or as
one of its active ingredients.
(c) No person may sell in a single over-the-counter sale
more than two packages of a methamphetamine precursor drug or a
combination of methamphetamine precursor drugs or any
combination of packages exceeding a total weight of six grams.
(d) Over-the-counter sales of methamphetamine precursor
drugs are limited to:
(1) packages containing not more than a total of three
grams of one or more methamphetamine precursor drugs, calculated
in terms of ephedrine base or pseudoephedrine base; or
(2) for nonliquid products, sales in blister packs, where
each blister contains not more than two dosage units, or, if the
use of blister packs is not technically feasible, sales in unit
dose packets or pouches.
(e) A business establishment that offers for sale
methamphetamine precursor drugs in an over-the-counter sale
shall ensure that all packages of the drugs are displayed behind
a checkout counter where the public is not permitted and are
offered for sale only by a licensed pharmacist, a registered
pharmacy technician, or a pharmacy clerk. The establishment
shall ensure that the person making the sale requires the buyer:
(1) to provide photographic identification showing the
buyer's date of birth; and
(2) to sign a written or electronic document detailing the
date of the sale, the name of the buyer, and the amount of the
drug sold. Nothing in this paragraph requires the buyer to
obtain a prescription for the drug's purchase.
(f) No person may acquire through over-the-counter sales
more than six grams of methamphetamine precursor drugs within a
30-day period.
(g) No person may sell in an over-the-counter sale a
methamphetamine precursor drug to a person under the age of 18
years. It is an affirmative defense to a charge under this
paragraph if the defendant proves by a preponderance of the
evidence that the defendant reasonably and in good faith relied
on proof of age as described in section 340A.503, subdivision 6.
(h) A person who knowingly violates paragraph (c), (d),
(e), (f), or (g) is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be sentenced
to imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or to payment of a
fine of not more than $1,000, or both.
(i) An owner, operator, supervisor, or manager of a
business establishment that offers for sale methamphetamine
precursor drugs whose employee or agent is convicted of or
charged with violating paragraph (c), (d), (e), (f), or (g) is
not subject to the criminal penalties for violating any of those
paragraphs if the person:
(1) did not have prior knowledge of, participate in, or
direct the employee or agent to commit the violation; and
(2) documents that an employee training program was in
place to provide the employee or agent with information on the
state and federal laws and regulations regarding methamphetamine
precursor drugs.
(j) Any person employed by a business establishment that
offers for sale methamphetamine precursor drugs who sells such a
drug to any person in a suspicious transaction shall report the
transaction to the owner, supervisor, or manager of the
establishment. The owner, supervisor, or manager may report the
transaction to local law enforcement. A person who reports
information under this subdivision in good faith is immune from
civil liability relating to the report.
(k) Paragraphs (c) to (j) do not apply to:
(1) pediatric products labeled pursuant to federal
regulation primarily intended for administration to children
under 12 years of age according to label instructions;
(2) methamphetamine precursor drugs that are certified by
the Board of Pharmacy as being manufactured in a manner that
prevents the drug from being used to manufacture
methamphetamine;
(3) methamphetamine precursor drugs in gel capsule or
liquid form; or
(4) compounds, mixtures, or preparations in powder form
where pseudoephedrine constitutes less than one percent of its
total weight and is not its sole active ingredient.
(l) The Board of Pharmacy, in consultation with the
Department of Public Safety, shall certify methamphetamine
precursor drugs that meet the requirements of paragraph (k),
clause (2), and publish an annual listing of these drugs.
(m) Wholesale drug distributors licensed and regulated by
the Board of Pharmacy pursuant to sections 151.42 to 151.51 and
registered with and regulated by the United States Drug
Enforcement Administration are exempt from the methamphetamine
precursor drug storage requirements of this section.
(n) This section preempts all local ordinances or
regulations governing the sale by a business establishment of
over-the-counter products containing ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine. All ordinances enacted prior to the effective
date of this act are void.
[EFFECTIVE DATE.] This section is effective July 1, 2005,
and applies to crimes committed on or after that date.
Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 152.02, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 8a. [METHAMPHETAMINE PRECURSORS.] The State Board of
Pharmacy may, by order, require that non-prescription ephedrine
or pseudophedrine products sold in gel capsule or liquid form be
subject to the sale restrictions established in subdivision 6
for methamphetamine precursor drugs, if the board concludes that
ephedrine or pseudophedrine products in gel capsule or liquid
form can be used to manufacture methamphetamine. In assessing
the need for an order under this subdivision, the board shall
consult at least annually with the advisory council on
controlled substances, the commissioner of public safety, and
the commissioner of health.
As i was looking at the NyQuil bottles I noticed that they had this on the label:
and I remembered that I had read an article online about NyQuil not working anymore. They took the pseudoephedrine out of it.
Most of the Walgreens brand of it also had the PSE free tag too. There were a couple left that didn't and still had the PSE in it. I grabbed two of those. The DayQuil appeared to still be the good stuff so I grabbed a couple of those too.
After all, why would I buy a product that has had the effective ingredient removed?
With my armful of drugs I headed to the pharmacy to get hellbob's stuff. The pharmacist started ringing up my stuff, but the computer beeped at him. I was only allowed to buy two bottles of the stuff. PSE sales are limited because people are using it to make crystal meth. But to make it they need the pill form of it. Meth can't be made from NyQuil.
So NyQuil changed their formula so that their product would not be required to be behind the pharmacy counter any more. It was required to be behind the counter even though it couldn't be used to make the illegal drugs. The change in formula has prompted me to stock up on bottles of the stuff that have the old formula. I can't stock up on them because their sale is restricted.
What a frickin' pain in the ass!
Between being told I can't buy 4 bottles of cough syrup and the hassles I have to go through every month to get my Ritalin prescription the trips to the pharmacy seem to be trying to make me feel like some kind of drug addict. The irony is that I think I may be the only 35 year old in this country who has never smoked pot, not even once. Yet I keep expecting that on my next trip to the pharmacy to get the drugs I need, I'll have to sign my name to a list of suspected drug abusers.
*edit* The Minnesota Statute's latest ammendment is under here. Essentially there is a limit on how much you can buy, it is required to be kept behind the pharmacy counter, and the buyer must provide photo id w/date of birth & sign a document w/date of sale, name of buyer, & amount of drug bought. It also has a contingency that if the State Board of Pharmacy finds that PSE in gel capsule or liquid form can be used in the manufacture of meth they would require the same restrictions.
This section is effective August 1, 2005,
and applies to crimes committed on or after that date.
Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 152.02,
subdivision 6, is amended to read:
Subd. 6. [SCHEDULE V; RESTRICTIONS ON METHAMPHETAMINE
PRECURSOR DRUGS.] (a) As used in this subdivision, the following
terms have the meanings given:
(1) "methamphetamine precursor drug" means any compound,
mixture, or preparation intended for human consumption
containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as its sole active
ingredient or as one of its active ingredients; and
(2) "over-the-counter sale" means a retail sale of a drug
or product but does not include the sale of a drug or product
pursuant to the terms of a valid prescription.
(b) The following items are listed in Schedule V:
(1) any compound, mixture, or preparation containing any of
the following limited quantities of narcotic drugs, which shall
include one or more nonnarcotic active medicinal ingredients in
sufficient proportion to confer upon the compound, mixture or
preparation valuable medicinal qualities other than those
possessed by the narcotic drug alone;:
(1) (i) not more than 100 milligrams of dihydrocodeine per
100 milliliters or per 100 grams.;
(2) (ii) not more than 100 milligrams of ethylmorphine per
100 milliliters or per 100 grams.;
(3) (iii) not more than 2.5 milligrams of diphenoxylate and
not less than 25 micrograms of atropine sulfate per dosage
unit.; or
(4) (iv) not more than 15 milligrams of anhydrous morphine
per 100 milliliters or per 100 grams; and
(2) any compound, mixture, or preparation containing
ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as its sole active ingredient or as
one of its active ingredients.
(c) No person may sell in a single over-the-counter sale
more than two packages of a methamphetamine precursor drug or a
combination of methamphetamine precursor drugs or any
combination of packages exceeding a total weight of six grams.
(d) Over-the-counter sales of methamphetamine precursor
drugs are limited to:
(1) packages containing not more than a total of three
grams of one or more methamphetamine precursor drugs, calculated
in terms of ephedrine base or pseudoephedrine base; or
(2) for nonliquid products, sales in blister packs, where
each blister contains not more than two dosage units, or, if the
use of blister packs is not technically feasible, sales in unit
dose packets or pouches.
(e) A business establishment that offers for sale
methamphetamine precursor drugs in an over-the-counter sale
shall ensure that all packages of the drugs are displayed behind
a checkout counter where the public is not permitted and are
offered for sale only by a licensed pharmacist, a registered
pharmacy technician, or a pharmacy clerk. The establishment
shall ensure that the person making the sale requires the buyer:
(1) to provide photographic identification showing the
buyer's date of birth; and
(2) to sign a written or electronic document detailing the
date of the sale, the name of the buyer, and the amount of the
drug sold. Nothing in this paragraph requires the buyer to
obtain a prescription for the drug's purchase.
(f) No person may acquire through over-the-counter sales
more than six grams of methamphetamine precursor drugs within a
30-day period.
(g) No person may sell in an over-the-counter sale a
methamphetamine precursor drug to a person under the age of 18
years. It is an affirmative defense to a charge under this
paragraph if the defendant proves by a preponderance of the
evidence that the defendant reasonably and in good faith relied
on proof of age as described in section 340A.503, subdivision 6.
(h) A person who knowingly violates paragraph (c), (d),
(e), (f), or (g) is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be sentenced
to imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or to payment of a
fine of not more than $1,000, or both.
(i) An owner, operator, supervisor, or manager of a
business establishment that offers for sale methamphetamine
precursor drugs whose employee or agent is convicted of or
charged with violating paragraph (c), (d), (e), (f), or (g) is
not subject to the criminal penalties for violating any of those
paragraphs if the person:
(1) did not have prior knowledge of, participate in, or
direct the employee or agent to commit the violation; and
(2) documents that an employee training program was in
place to provide the employee or agent with information on the
state and federal laws and regulations regarding methamphetamine
precursor drugs.
(j) Any person employed by a business establishment that
offers for sale methamphetamine precursor drugs who sells such a
drug to any person in a suspicious transaction shall report the
transaction to the owner, supervisor, or manager of the
establishment. The owner, supervisor, or manager may report the
transaction to local law enforcement. A person who reports
information under this subdivision in good faith is immune from
civil liability relating to the report.
(k) Paragraphs (c) to (j) do not apply to:
(1) pediatric products labeled pursuant to federal
regulation primarily intended for administration to children
under 12 years of age according to label instructions;
(2) methamphetamine precursor drugs that are certified by
the Board of Pharmacy as being manufactured in a manner that
prevents the drug from being used to manufacture
methamphetamine;
(3) methamphetamine precursor drugs in gel capsule or
liquid form; or
(4) compounds, mixtures, or preparations in powder form
where pseudoephedrine constitutes less than one percent of its
total weight and is not its sole active ingredient.
(l) The Board of Pharmacy, in consultation with the
Department of Public Safety, shall certify methamphetamine
precursor drugs that meet the requirements of paragraph (k),
clause (2), and publish an annual listing of these drugs.
(m) Wholesale drug distributors licensed and regulated by
the Board of Pharmacy pursuant to sections 151.42 to 151.51 and
registered with and regulated by the United States Drug
Enforcement Administration are exempt from the methamphetamine
precursor drug storage requirements of this section.
(n) This section preempts all local ordinances or
regulations governing the sale by a business establishment of
over-the-counter products containing ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine. All ordinances enacted prior to the effective
date of this act are void.
[EFFECTIVE DATE.] This section is effective July 1, 2005,
and applies to crimes committed on or after that date.
Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 152.02, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 8a. [METHAMPHETAMINE PRECURSORS.] The State Board of
Pharmacy may, by order, require that non-prescription ephedrine
or pseudophedrine products sold in gel capsule or liquid form be
subject to the sale restrictions established in subdivision 6
for methamphetamine precursor drugs, if the board concludes that
ephedrine or pseudophedrine products in gel capsule or liquid
form can be used to manufacture methamphetamine. In assessing
the need for an order under this subdivision, the board shall
consult at least annually with the advisory council on
controlled substances, the commissioner of public safety, and
the commissioner of health.