Nixon Wants To Take Pseudoephedrine Law Statewide
The Facts do NOT support the following claim:
"What we want to do is end the problem once and for all"...Franklin County Narcotics Commander Sgt. Jason Grellner
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Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control Hearing on
“The Status of Meth: Oregon’s Experience
Making Pseudoephedrine Prescription only”
____________________________________________________________________________________“The Status of Meth: Oregon’s Experience
Making Pseudoephedrine Prescription only”
Opening Statement of Senator Charles E. Grassley
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The witnesses here today will discuss Oregon’s experience with making PSE a prescription only drug as well as other states’ experiences with electronic tracking. I have concerns about the approach Oregon has taken. We need to strongly consider the economic impact this proposal will have if it is implemented at the federal level. For example, to obtain a prescription individuals would be required to visit a doctor. That visit will increase costs to the consumer, including the cost of the visit, insurance copays paid by the consumer, and increases in insurance premiums to cover the costs of the doctor’s visit. Further, there is no real experience in changing a product from over-the-counter to prescription so it’s also unclear if consumers will experience increase costs for the product. Taken together, these new costs could significantly impact millions of Americans that use PSE products annually.
Also, I’m concerned with the proposal to schedule PSE based upon concerns raised by law enforcement. For example, an October 30, 2009 article in the Portland Tribune discussed the meth problem in Oregon following the new law. The article quoted a Multnomah County Sheriff’s deputy as saying “There’s a lot more meth than there ever was before.” The same article quoted a Portland Police Bureau officer who said, “There’s so much, it’s ridiculous.” The article continues stating, “Oregon’s legislative changes contributed to a radical transformation in the underground meth economy, one that in some ways is making the problem even more difficult to fight.”
Another Oregon paper wrote an editorial citing police sources saying that following the passage of the law in Oregon meth labs are down, but meth use has remained consistent. That same editorial also discussed how many residents in Oregon who purchase PSE products simply obtain it by traveling to Washington State to make the purchase. In fact, anecdotal evidence has suggested that sales of PSE products in neighboring states has increased six times since the prescription only law was passed. Taken together, these two articles raise a number of questions about what the true cost of a federal law requiring prescriptions to obtain PSE would really be, both in terms of economics and law enforcement.
Click Here to Read the FULL Senate, Hearings, Documents, and Reports.
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November 30, 2010
Nixon Wants To Take Pseudoephedrine
Law Statewide
A controversial law to curb methamphetamine that got its start in Franklin County could soon go statewide. Governor Jay Nixon and Attorney General Chris Koster announced Tuesday they support legislation to make medication containing pseudoephedrine available only by prescription. Pseudoephedrine is a main ingredient in meth.
Franklin County Narcotics Commander Sgt. Jason Grellner has led an effort to get the law passed on a city-by-city basis, and told KLPW Tuesday the support from Nixon is much needed.
"With the support we've gotten from the Governor's office now...I think we've got a real shot this year of ending the meth lab problem for the state of Missouri," Grellner said.
Opponents of the proposal argue the prescription requirement will force consumers to pay more out-of-pocket for the medications, but Grellner said it will end up being a cost savings for the state.
"What we want to do is end the problem once and for all," Grellner said. "By preventing the problem, we're going to save the state literally tens of millions of dollars."
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