Hearing March 28 on Meth Elimination Act

A bill that would require a prescription to buy certain cold and allergy medicines containing pseudoephedrine was scheduled for its first committee hearing Wednesday.

The Meth Elimination Act sponsored by state Rep. Dave Schatz, Sullivan, was to be heard by the Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee.

Pseudoephedrine is the only ingredient that is vital to making meth.

A similar bill filed by Schatz last session was not passed by the Legislature.

Schatz recently filed the new bill after development of a new formulation that prevents the extraction of most of the pseudoephedrine from medicines.

Under Schatz’s new bill, any formula that blocks 95 percent or more of pseudoephedrine from being extracted, would not require a prescription.

The formula was developed by a Maryland Heights firm, Highland Pharmaceuticals, and recently passed all laboratory trials.

Opposition to the new bill is expected from pharmaceutical lobbyists and some medical groups.

Another bill making its way through the Legislature would reduce the amounts of cold and allergy medicines people could purchase and set tougher penalties for offenders.