COLD DRUGS FACE RESTRICTIONS

Some common cold medications will be moved behind the pharmacist's
counter in Saskatchewan in a move to curb crystal meth production.

Graham Addley, minister of Healthy Living Services, announced Tuesday
the sale of cough and cold products solely containing pseudoephedrine
will be restricted. Pseudoephedrine is one of the key ingredients used
for the production of crystal methamphetamine.

"We will be limiting and putting the precursors to crystal meth behind
the counter in pharmacies," said Addley, who made the announcement in
co-operation with the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacists.

Seventeen single-ingredient pseudoephedrine products will now only be
available through a pharmacist and a single-transaction limit of 3,600
milligrams, or about 50 pills. The restricted products include
well-known brands, such as Sudafed, Triaminic and Benylin.

The change came into effect Tuesday but retailers and suppliers have a
one-month transition period. Sale of products that have multiple
ingredients including pseudoephedrine will not be restricted.

"The whole variety of cough and cold products is quite extensive. If
we were to restrict the sale to the dispensary of all cough and cold
remedies, it would be untenable for the pharmacists," said Ray
Joubert, registrar of the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacists.

"With limiting the restriction to just single entity (pseudoephedrine)
products, that is only 10 or 12 of the much larger variety of products
that are out so it makes it more manageable."

In making the announcement, Addley admitted the government is being
proactive. But the move would only address the small amount of crystal
meth produced in a home lab.

Addley explained 80 to 90 per cent of all crystal meth in North
America is produced in super labs, using commercial bulk-quantity
ephedrine. The federal government regulates the sale of ephedrine.

Saskatchewan Party MLA June Draude was pleased by the government's
announcement, but pointed out it may have little effect on crystal
meth use in the province.

"I don't think it will make a huge difference personally except for
the signal that it sends, that the government is actually doing
something," said Draude.

At Premier Lorne Calvert's meeting on crystal meth in June, western
Canadian politicians agreed to come up with a plan by Oct. 1 to put
restrictions on the sale of medicines containing ephedrine and
pseudoephedrine. Manitoba also announced similar restrictions on cold
products Tuesday.

Cough and cold products containing pseudoephedrine will be
reclassified under The Drug Schedules Regulations, 1997, meaning they
can only be sold in pharmacies and must be kept behind the counter.

Currently, the products are available in a wide range of businesses
including gas stations and convenience stores.