Letter: Pursue meth-fighting laws that target criminals, not everyone
As a pharmacist and the executive director of the Illinois Pharmacists Association, I am seeing that Illinois is making progress in its fight against methamphetamines.
Every pharmacy in our state utilizes a strategic pseudoephedrine abuse-blocking system, known as NPLEx, to successfully prevent the illegal sale of thousands of boxes of medications that are sometimes used to manufacture meth. NPLEx has been in place in Illinois for several years, and frequently is cited by law enforcement officials as a crucial tool in their fight against meth crime.
Recent evidence indicates that NPLEx is doing exactly what it was intended to do — actively dissuading criminals from even attempting to purchase this medicine.
This hasn’t stopped some Illinois lawmakers from openly discussing further restrictions on the sale of pseudoephedrine medicines, including the option of a prescription requirement for those common products.
I understand that this is well-intentioned, but before we pursue such options, we should work to expand on effective policies like NPLEx, which target criminals, not law-abiding citizens seeking legitimate treatment options for their routine health-care needs.
Garth K. Reynolds
Springfield
The writer is executive director of the Illinois Pharmacists Association.
Read more:
http://www.sj-r.com/article/20140916/Opinion/140919598#ixzz3DbdNr61a