GROCERS CRY FOUL OVER DRUG REMOVAL

A national organization for grocery stores is "perplexed" over
Saskatchewan's decision to order the removal of cold and allergy
products from grocery stores with other western provinces aren't.

Politicians defend the move by saying Saskatchewan's experience with
crystal meth labs is different from the other provinces, said
Saskatchewan Healthy Living Services Minister Graham Addley.

Ministers of health, justice and public safety from Alberta, British
Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan agreed in June to co-ordinate
their response to a growing crystal meth problem in Western Canada.
An interprovincial meeting was held in Regina to develop a regional plan.

"Last year, the four western provinces signed an agreement that
whatever they did on this issue, they would move in concert," said
Gary Sands, vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent
Grocers (CFIG).

"B.C. and Alberta (are) saying, 'Unless there's evidence retail
diversion is a problem -- whether retail grocery or retail pharmacy
- -- we're not going to make any decision.' "

Cold and allergy products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine
will be rescheduled under Saskatchewan's drug schedule regulations so
that only pharmacies can legally sell them, Addley announced Tuesday.

Manitoba is considering this as a secondary step. That province,
along with Saskatchewan and Alberta, moved products containing only
ephedrine or pseudoephedrine behind pharmacists' counters late last
year. B.C. didn't. It was deemed unnecessary by law enforcement in
that province. Officers found pseudoephedrine was being used in
commercial volumes in illegal labs and not from individual cough
syrup bottles, said James Nesbitt, spokesman for the College of
Pharmacists for B.C.

"Super labs" are in B.C., but not Saskatchewan. Most meth is made in
the large labs, said Addley.

In small labs here, individuals are producing crystal meth for
themselves and a few others. They prefer individual bottles of cold
remedies with just ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. Single-ingredient
products are easier to use and are less likely to cause side-effects,
said Addley.

If retail diversion is a problem, grocers would support putting all
products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine behind pharmacists'
counters, said Sands. But he has not seen evidence it is.

Grocers have had a meth watch program much longer than pharmacies,
said Sands. Pharmacy employees won't scrutinize purchases of cold and
allergy products any more than grocery store workers could. By
leaving these products on the shelf, those purchasing it to misuse it
will be missed by pharmacists, said Sands.