CURB ACCESS TO DRUGS USED TO MAKE METH: PHARMACIST

EDMONTON (CP) - Asking retailers to voluntarily restrict the sale of
certain medications likely won't curb an explosion in the illegal
production of methamphetamine, the head of the Alberta College of
Pharmacists said Sunday.

Alberta Solicitor General Heather Forsyth said last week she's hoping
pharmacists will prevent customers from bulk-buying cold remedies such
as Sudafed which can be used to make methamphetamine, a highly
addictive street drug commonly called crystal meth.

But Greg Eberhart, registrar of the pharmacists' college, said new
provincial legislation is needed to close loopholes in the law.

"I don't think we want to focus specifically on Sudafed. I think we
want to look at both ephedrine and pseudoephedrine and we want to look
at all of the locations where they might be accessible," said Eberhart.

Forsyth floated the idea of asking pharmaceutical retailers to monitor
and restrict drug sales after returning from a three-day
methamphetamine information tour in the United States.

"If people are buying 100 packs of Sudafed, they've either got a hell
of a headache, or they're cooking (crystal meth)," Forsyth said.