DECONGESTANT LIMITS LEAVE CUSTOMER COLD

Q: The Mountain View Costco store has a policy that limits sales of
over-the-counter decongestants to two packages per customer. The
pharmacist said the policy was in accordance with some Drug
Enforcement Administration regulation but he didn't know which one.
What is this all about?

- -- John Carr, Mountain View

A: Costco voluntarily agreed to establish the two-package limit for
sales of over-the-counter cold medicines, says a DEA spokeswoman. The
pharmacist you spoke with was probably referring to the Comprehensive
Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996, intended to limit manufacturing
and use of the drug methamphetamine, more commonly known as crank or
speed. Two substances commonly found in cold remedies, pseudoephedrine
and phenylpropanolamine, are necessary ingredients in the manufacture
of methamphetamine. One of those substances can be found in the
popular over-the-counter medications Sudafed, Actifed, Tylenol Cold,
Contac, Tavist D and NyQuil, among others. The act limits retail sales
to 24 grams of pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine base per
transaction.

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