Vent about limits on buying Sudafed

[disneysteve]

DW wasn't feeling well this morning and realized she was out of her allergy meds. She takes generic Claritin D. I used to get her all she needed for free (I'm a physician) but since it went OTC, we've had to buy it like everybody else. Not a problem. However, we haven't had to buy any since they instituted that inane law limiting how much pseudoephedrine you are allowed to buy and making it be sold behind the pharmacy counter. This was done, supposedly, because the drug can be used in the production of crystal meth. Rather than do something to catch the addicts, the government in their infinite widsom, decided to basically criminalize the purchase of Sudafed. You have to show photo id, sign a log book and are limited to 2,400mg/day. For a point of reference, that is 10 Claritin D-24 pills. So if you want to buy a one month supply of medicine, you need to go to the store on 3 separate days and buy 10-days's worthe each time.

Anyway, I stopped at my office to pick up some med samples we needed. I was going to then go to CVS for the allergy pills, but I realized that I'd be going right past Wal-Mart on my way and they'd be cheaper. I had totally forgotten about the new law at that point. So I park and go into Wal-Mart and head over to the allergy meds. There they had the little cards to take representing the product, and bring them to the pharmacy to get the actual pills. Only problem was it was 8:00 Sunday morning and the pharmacy was closed, so there was no way to purchase the medicine.

So off I went to CVS. They had the little cards as well. I was going to buy a 20-pack of the 12-hour pills (DW likes them better than the 24 hour ones). Then I noticed the 10-pack was on sale so 2 of those was less than one 20-pack.

I go up to the register and hand the guy the cards. He comes over and rings up one pack of 10 and tells me that's all I'm allowed to buy due to the limit. Well, one pack of 10 pills, each containing 120mg of med, is only 1,200mg. How could I be over the limit buying one 10-pack if the store also sells a 20-pack of the same pills? I tried to explain this to the guy buy all he knew was what the register screen was telling him and it said I was at the limit. I considered asking for the manager but I was kind of in a rush so I just bought the one figuring that was enough to get through the weekend and I'd get more on Tuesday. Turns out when I got home and gave DW the bag, she opens it and he had actually given me the 24-hour pills instead of the 12-hour. They have twice as much med, 240mg per pill, so 10 pills was the limit, so he was right in that respect, but had sold me the wrong product, not the one I handed in the card for. Partly my fault for not checking what he rang up, but the whole process was just stupid.

Ok. Vent over. Thanks for listening.

 

[littleteapot]

Try buying for a family of six, all with colds. I kept having to drag my miserable self back to the store

 

[ducklite]

Blame the mehtamphetamine addicts for that one. Yet another law that hurts the law abiding consumer and does nothing to stop meth heads, because they just steal the stuff rather than buy it.

Anne

 

[mommasita]

Wow, we do not have that rule here "yet" , but we do for Pedialyte...If that makes any sense..

I remember going to the drugstore years ago when my kids were babies, and buying it, and had to ASK for it, and they checked the computer before selling it? Also remember having to go back a few days later, as the next child got it, and once opened it is no good. They would not sell it to me, as I had purchased in the same week...Any sense on WHO would pay that much for colored water???

 

[disneysteve]

they just steal the stuff rather than buy it.

You can't steal it easily. It is behind the pharmacy counter.

 

[littleteapot]

Wow, we do not have that rule here "yet" , but we do for Pedialyte...If that makes any sense..

I can't imagine why???

 

[ducklite]

You can't steal it easily. It is behind the pharmacy counter.

That's true, but they steal it from warehouses and such. My guess is that far more is bought on the black market than from your local CVS.

Anne

 

[Green Tea]

They still should have some of the generic behind the counter to dispense as a prescription. Write a script for a 30 day suppy and she should be able to fill it that way. Generic copay is less for us than buying it OTC.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Here we are limited on how much we can buy per month. And since only an adult can buy it I have no idea what a family with more than 2 kids does if they all get sick. We pretty much just stockpile and buy our limit every month because we all have allergies and use quite a bit.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

This is one thing I hate dealing with, and feel bad about some of the time. I've had customers needing adult and child of the same thing, and the computer won't let both be rung up. And there is no way to override it. Some people screw it up for everybody.

 

[Hannathy]

It is totally a PR move to make the idiot voters happy. Because the truth of it is you need so much of the OTC to make the stuff with it is not economical to buy it that way. They just order it in bulk over the internet from Mexico ,etc. It only inconveniences the law abiding folks with colds and allergies. They aren't sitting around popping out 2,000 of those little red pills to make a batch.

 

[fabshelly]

At Costco, they have generic Claritin, 300 pills for 11.00. Takes care of that whole annoying thing.

 

[mandy200587]

It's very much needed here in my town. We have bad cases of meth here unfournately.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

SAM's club used to carry the three box pack, but as soon as the new law came out, they didn't want the hassle and quit carrying it. We are supposed to be getting a Costco, I will check there then.
Kim

 

[Southern4sure]

One day I was in Walmart buying cold meds. My dh cant take cold meds containing ibuprofen (kidney transplant) and DS is allergic to tylenol so I needed two different kinds of cold meds. I was only allowed to purchase one. So I then had to drive to another store to purchase the second med I needed.

Oh the joy of being a law abiding citizen.

 

[CF'er]

I but generic loratidine at Wal-Mart OTC and get a 2 months supply. This may not have the "D" though. It's on the shelf.

I agree this is a major pain in the butt especially if you are sick.

 

[lovethattink]

At Costco, they have generic Claritin, 300 pills for 11.00. Takes care of that whole annoying thing.

I supose it does if you only have a runny nose. Won't do much for a stuffed nose, without the sudafed in it.


OP---What about clarinex D or Allegra D samples?

 

[Kath2003]

I buy the decongestant spray - it lasts much longer. One little bottle can easily sort out 3-4 people for the duration of a virus/head cold.

 

[Nancy]

I just bought Sudafed yesterday and I got it right off the shelf. It is the "new" Sudafed without the pseudoephedrine in it. (white box with green on it). I've been taking this for years before they changed it so I hope it works semi close to what I want. There are 24 pills in the box, but I'm not sure of the mgs. I know you only take 1 at a time. Up until recently I had to get it from the pharmacy and I could buy 3 boxes at one time and I never had to sign anything for it. Our Claritan is right on the shelf too. There are only a very small amount now that need to be behind the counter (at least in my store).

 

[lovetoscrap]

At Costco, they have generic Claritin, 300 pills for 11.00. Takes care of that whole annoying thing.

There is a difference between Claritin and Claritin D. OP was talking about the "D" kind that contains sudaphed as a decongestant. In many locations you can no longer buy it in large quanities like that. You can still buy generic Claritin without the "D" though in large bottles.