Bill To Move Sale of Some Cold Medicines Behind the Counter Does Not Pass Senate Committee Vote
The Senate Business and Professions Committee on Monday voted 3-3 on a bill (SB 152) that would have moved medications containing pseudoephedrine behind the counter, the Modesto Bee reports. Four votes were needed to move the bill by Sen. Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo) out of committee (Stern, Modesto Bee, 4/26).
The bill would have required consumers to show identification and sign a log showing the date, name of purchaser and amount sold. In addition, the bill would have capped the amount of pseudoephedrine consumers can buy over a 30-day period at nine grams (California Healthline, 2/11).
Under current law, consumers can purchase as much as nine grams of pseudoephedrine -- about three packages of medicine -- at one time (Modesto Bee, 4/26).
In related news, KPCC's "AirTalk" on Tuesday included a discussion of federal and state legislation to mandate moving OTC medications that can be used to produce methamphetamine behind the counter. Guests on the program included Bart Broome, legislative assistant to Assembly member Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood); Rob Eder, executive editor of Drug Store News; and Lena Michaud, a spokesperson for Target (Morrison, "AirTalk," KPCC, 4/26). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
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