Some Missouri legislators are talking about requiring prescriptions for pseudoephedrine, a decongestant that is methamphetamine's main ingredient. The idea was debated yesterday, says the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The number of meth lab busts increased last year both in Missouri and nationwide; Missouri has led the nation in meth lab busts for years, and is set to surpass the 2008 total of about 1,470 labs by nearly 300 for 2009.
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which represents over-the-counter drug manufacturers, along with the Missouri State Medical Association and Missouri Retailer's Association, argued that prescription laws are unfair to the uninsured, who might have to pay out of pocket to see a doctor when they needed a decongestant.
