LETTER: Lawmakers Should Reject Prescription Law
12.18.14 – Steve Kuni, The Leaf-Chronicle
I urge members of the legislature to vote against the requirement of a prescription for pseudoephedrine in Tennessee if the matter is placed before the General Assembly.
This month, the Montgomery County Commission passed Resolution 14-12-6, urging the 109th Tennessee General Assembly to enact legislation classifying pseudoephedrine as a Controlled Substance and requiring a prescription for it. While the intent is laudable, I feel requiring a prescription for what the Food and Drug Administration regards as an over-the-counter medicine will not fix the problem and will only increase the cost of medical care for Tennesseans.
In a 2014 study, Dr. Martin Kennedy shows a decrease in locally produced methamphetamine is matched by drugs smuggled in from Mexico. This decrease in local production is likely due to measures currently in place: purchase limits, identification requirements, and purchase tracking. The additional requirement of a prescription will do nothing to curb illegal imports; it only drives up the cost for legal purchasers seeking relief from cold and allergy symptoms.
Read more here.