DRUG BAN BY ROTORUA CHEMISTS MAY GROW

Health Minister Annette King has asked for an urgent report on whether
moves by Rotorua GPs and pharmacists to ban all pseudoephedrine
products from the city should be introduced nationwide.

Pseudoephedrine-based cold and flu pills are used to make pure
methamphetamine, known as P.

People trying to gather the drug's raw ingredients often break into
pharmacies or go from town to town buying as many pills as possible.

Many pharmacies across the country have already stopped stocking
pseudoephedrine products as a result, but this is the first time a
group of GPs has refused to prescribe them.

Dr Bev O'Keefe, chairwoman of the Rotorua General Practice Group,
which represents most of the city's 60-odd GPs, said the decision was
made following a police seminar this month on the effects P was having
in the community.

"We were so horrified by the reality of the danger of methamphetamine
that we felt we should try and take a proactive approach in so far as
we could."

Bay of Plenty police have welcomed the announcement and Rotorua's 14
pharmacies describe it as "a bullet we had to bite".

The Ministry of Health's drug safety agency, Medsafe, has now been
asked to prepare a report by mid-January on the advantages and
drawbacks of banning pseudoephedrine products, and what alternative
products are available.

Dr O'Keefe said she would lobby the Government to introduce
legislation banning the prescription or sale of pseudoephedrine
products throughout New Zealand.

"We believe there are other products that people can be offered which
will attend to their minor ailments," she said.

Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton was cooler on the idea of a
national ban, saying the Government had already classified
pseudoephedrine and ephedrine as controlled drugs, tightened
importation controls and stiffened penalties for the manufacture of
P.

"We've got to be careful we don't overreact here," he said.

"P is a menace, no question, and the Government is taking it seriously
but there are a number of medicines like pseudoephedrine which are
very useful as remedies.

"If we start making them unsaleable, we're going to create a real rod
for the back of ordinary people."

Mr Anderton said the ministerial committee on drug policy would assess
Medsafe's report but the Government would try to avoid inconveniencing
the law-abiding majority of the population.

As part of its inquiry, Medsafe has been asked to canvass national
medical bodies for their opinions.

New Zealand Medical Association chairwoman Dr Tricia Briscoe said she
supported the Rotorua initiative but there might be other options that
were more suitable nationally.

Victor Klap, chief executive of the Independent Practitioners
Association, said his organisation was consulting its 2000 or so GPs
with a view to extending Rotorua's ban.

"Initial feedback supports the approach."

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THE INGREDIENTS

* Ingredients used in the manufacture of methamphetamine can come from
some of the best cold and flu pills on the market.

* Drugs that could be affected include Actifed, Sudafed, Clarinase and
Sinutab.

* Packet labels contain the best clue to whether a medicine contains a
precursor used in the manufacture of illegal drugs.