Prescription Requirement For Pseudoephedrine Is Misguided
3.30.15 – Sen. Bob Onder, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
As a practicing allergist, I know how badly many Missourians suffer during allergy season. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, both St. Louis and Kansas City ranked among the 50 worst cities for allergies in 2014.
In order to fight back against these allergies, many patients need access to treatments that provide relief from nasal congestion. Many of my patients benefit from medicines containing the decongestant pseudoephedrine, contained in products like Advil Cold & Sinus, Mucinex-D, Claritin-D and Zyrtec-D. While those medicines are currently behind the counter in most of Missouri, some counties — including St. Charles, Lincoln and Franklin — have made them available only with a prescription in an attempt to stop criminals who misuse them to make meth.
Now, some in our state want to make everyone across Missouri get a prescription to get it, despite the fact that according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 90 percent of America’s meth is manufactured in Mexico by drug cartels.
A prescription requirement for pseudoephedrine is misguided because it will only make it harder for Missourians to treat their allergies. There are too many important issues facing our state for legislators to be focused on making it harder for law-abiding citizens to get the relief they deserve.
Sen. Bob Onder • R-Lake Saint Louis