Pseudoephedrine and PPA
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Senate passes legislation Nov. 19 limiting the amount of the ingredients that could be sold at retail by a voice vote. Introduced by Sen. John Ashcroft (R-Mo.), the DEFEAT Meth Act (S 486) was the subject of an Aug. 5 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing ("The Tan Sheet" Aug. 16, p. 8). As passed, the bill would set the single transaction limit for non-safe harbor products containing pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine at 9 g. Safe harbor packaging, which would be exempt, is defined as blister packs containing less than a 3 g base of either ingredient with no more than two doses per blister. In addition, the bill requires the Attorney General's office to conduct a study on the practice of converting OTC products containing the ingredients into meth, instructing the office to use information provided by federal and state agencies as well as by pharmaceutical firms. If the AG report finds a "significant number" of OTCs containing the ingredients are used for conversion to meth, a single transaction limit of no less than 24 g could be enacted after a notice and comment period. Mail order exemptions also are included in the measure. Companion legislation (HR 2987) was introduced in the House Sept. 30 by Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah)