DRUGS REMAIN

Decongestants: B.C. Chooses to Leave Products on Shelves.

There is no plan for B.C. pharmacies to move common decongestants
behind the counter to counter the production of crystal meth.

Although the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities
(NAPRA), an umbrella association of Canada's pharmacy regulatory
authorities, has recommended that pharmacies move over-the-counter
cold and allergy medications such as Sudafed, in which the sole
ingredient is pseudoephedrine, behind the counter as of April 10, the
final decision on the matter is up to the pharmacy regulatory
authorities of individual provinces.

NAPRA has also recommended that pseudoephedrine-based products be
removed entirely from the shelves of grocery stores and other markets
without pharmacies. These recommendations are in response to growing
national concerns over crystal methampetamine use and production, in
which pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient.

While other provinces may adopt NAPRA's recommendations, B.C.'s own
pharmaceutical authority, the College of Pharmacists of British
Columbia (CPBC), has elected to allow pharmacies and grocery stores
that sell Sudafed and similar products to do so as they are now.

"In other provinces, like in Sask? atchewan, they've pulled it behind
the counter and they have pulled it out of grocery stores," said Fran
Burman, pharmacist and pharmacy co-manager of Salmon Arm's Pharmasave.
"But in B.C., it's an individual store's decision whether they want to
do that or not. But there are going to be no regulations because they
have no way to enforce this."

As an alternative, the B.C. college endorses the Meth Watch Program, a
national program created to curtail suspicious sales of
pseudoephedrine products and other household products used in the
production of crystal meth.

Burman noted Pharmasave is a member of the Meth Watch Program, and
that she herself is a member of Salmon Arm's crystal meth task force.

"We don't see the problems here," said Burman. "We have brochures at
the back and at the front for staff so they know which products are
being used for crystal meth so they can look for any bulk buying."

NAPRA's recommendations regarding pseudoephedrine follow the Dec. 28,
2005, recall by Health Canada of Kaizen Ephedrine tablets.

Used for weight loss and increased energy, these tablets, containing a
similar chemical formula to pseudoephedrine, were found to have
potentially fatal adverse effects including dizziness, headaches,
heart attacks and stroke.

In 2002 Health Canada recalled products containing ephedra/ephedrine,
after these products were found to have adverse effects including
stroke, heart attacks, seizures, psychosis and deaths.