LOCAL PHARMACIES GET READY FOR NEW METH LAW

CLARKSBURG -- A new state law restricting the sale of certain products
containing pseudoephedrine, which can be converted into methamphetamine,
goes into effect in July.

Local pharmacists are preparing their stores to handle the changes.

"The only concern I have is a loss in sales," said Mario Blount, pharmacy
team leader at CVS Pharmacy in Clarksburg. "In West Virginia the drugs have
to be behind the counter by July 8, according to the West Virginia Board of
Pharmacy."

The new law, similar to those passed in several states, including Oklahoma
and Kentucky, restricts the sale of products that have pseudoephedrine as
the single active ingredient. Those products can be converted into
methamphetamine.

Those drugs will have to be sold by a pharmacist, and a log must be kept of
who buys them.

"We are still working on the log," Blount said. "I think that is going to
be an issue. We have made the space behind the counter. Only the
single-entity products, such as Sudafed, will be affected."

The meth bill limits how much of such products can be bought in a month's
time to 9 grams of each drug. It takes four boxes with 20 caplets each of
adult maximum-strength Dimetapp to equal 9 grams of pseudoephedrine.

That is an amount that far exceeds the needs of an average person, but not
enough for a drug user to make significant quantities of meth, said a
member of the Harrison/Lewis Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force.

"It is not a problem, just an inconvenience," said Yvonne Tenney, owner and
pharmacist of Pro Care Pharmacy in Shinnston. "I see it as being
ridiculous. There are so many other products people can have problems with
.. such as herbal and diet products. Anything can be abused."

Tenney does not think restricting the sale of cold medications in a local
pharmacy will stop meth makers from obtaining the ingredients needed for
the drug.

"It is like we have to be a baby-sitter for the public," she said.

Keeping a log of who buys the cold medicines will work in much the same way
as logs already kept for certain Robitussin products containing codeine,
she said. Those products are sold without a prescription, but records are
kept of who buys them, she said.

Pharmacist Randy Gum will have room for the drugs behind the counter of his
pharmacy, The Prescription Shop in Bridgeport, he said.

"We have never sold huge quantities of these products anyway," he said.
"Restricting the sales of the medicines statewide should reduce (meth use)
statewide. It is a good idea."

Still, all the pharmacists agree the new law does create some hassles for
them, as well as less space behind their counters.

"At some CVS stores, the store is open longer than the pharmacy," Blount
said. "It might hurt sales in stores that don't have the same hours for both."