Vent about limits on buying Sudafed

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Wow, we do not have that rule here "yet"

Unfortunately we do here in Alberta - and it is a royal pain in the butt!!

 

[disneysteve]

BLAME OKLAHOMA!

Sorry, but it WAS needed, just plan on you purchases...

Ok, so now we know whose fault it is.

As for planning your purchases, I wouldn't have a terribly big problem with that if the purchase limit was reasonable, like a 1-month supply perhaps. During allergy season, millions of patients take these meds every day, for a couple of months at a time. Being limited to a 10-day supply is ridiculous. Imagine if pharmacies started limiting high blood pressure or diabetes meds to 10-day supplies at a time.

 

[LaraK]

The decongestant they replaced Sudafed with is essentially worthless. It doesn't do a darn thing for most people. What upsets me even more than the OTC issue is that many prescription products also did away with pseudoephedrine and replaced it with phenylephrine, so those prescription meds are now ineffective.

I just wanted to say that I love the line in your signature about your daughter's college education!!! I know quite a few people that resemble that remark!

 

[Tinklvr]

I am a pharmacist and this whole pseudoephedrine law in the most ridiculous thing. It is inconvient for everyone and I don't see how it helps anything. It is very difficult to use drugs like Claritin-D to make methamphetamine. It was the plain Sudafed tablets that were problematic, so I don't know why the government had to place restricitions on every combination product containing pseudoephedrine.

We get yelled at all the time in the pharmacy about this stupid law and I completely understand why customers are upset, but there is nothing we can do about it. It is a federal law and we could be heavily fined if we don't follow the law.

Last August, one of the cashiers at our store was fired because a "customer" came in asking to buy two boxes of Sudafed which exceeded the max amount that could be purchased. She told him she could ring him in two separate transactions (which is not allowable). Well, the customer was really an undercover reporter from a local news station. When they ran the story, they make it seem like the cashier was helping to supply a meth ring. She was a really good worked and she lost her job because she us set up.

Oh, and more thing...the Sudafed PE doesn't work well. I think it causing more side effects that Sudafed does, too. At least Claritin-D kept its formulation the same and didn't take the Sudafed out.

 

[Nancy]

The decongestant they replaced Sudafed with is essentially worthless. It doesn't do a darn thing for most people. What upsets me even more than the OTC issue is that many prescription products also did away with pseudoephedrine and replaced it with phenylephrine, so those prescription meds are now ineffective.

yep, that's what they did with my Sudafed. I haven't tried it yet so I can't say how it works. I never used the prescription Sudafed (except when I was in the hospital and I had to have theirs and not mine). I get stuffy, but not too bad, I really just want something to stop the sneezing and itchy eyes.

 

[katerkat]

I've never seen or heard of anyone getting a prescription to Sudafed in our state, at least, nor would I see the point.

I've got prescription Sudafed in my medicine cabinet right now. Doctor wrote the prescription last year, along with Flonase, prescription-Tylenol and a couple other things. When I found out I was allergic to Mississippi springtime, my doctor gave a prescription for just about every allergy medicine out there so I could try to see what works. (I used to swear by the Flonase, but in Washington it gives me nosebleeds. Must be the dry air. But I'm not really allergic to Washington, thank goodness!)

 

[pindecisive]

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

I worked as a cashier before I went to college. My store had his rule about buying more than 3 boxes of certain allergy meds. They didn't do this for air sickness meds, for which an addict would come in and buy every week to make drugs with... but yes that was the law.
The register would freeze up during sale and there was nothing I could do.

Last August, one of the cashiers at our store was fired because a "customer" came in asking to buy two boxes of Sudafed which exceeded the max amount that could be purchased. She told him she could ring him in two separate transactions (which is not allowable). Well, the customer was really an undercover reporter from a local news station.

Customer's ALWAYS asked me to do this. And every single time I would be like no, sorry, nothing I can do. They'd get riled and I'd have to call the manager.

I don't think people really understand that the cashiers can't do anything. The register won't allow us to, and if it won't let us there is nothing a manager can do, it's not something that can be overwritten.

If it's really that important, and you have to have more than one, just go to an area where there is more than one store with a pharmacy and just go to two stores.

 

[KikiFan]

I've never seen or heard of anyone getting a prescription to Sudafed in our state, at least, nor would I see the point. Mostly because prescriptions are already costly, and why should I have to pay an extended amount for something that really doesn't need that price tag attached to it? Why should I have to pay a ridiculous amount for something like Sudafed b/c of a few idiots creating meth with it?

Ariel Mae, just because something is prescribed doesn't mean it's going to be expensive. Particularly, something like Sudafed which has been out long enough to have lots of generic versions. A perfect example is prednisone. Despite needing a script, its very cheap. 100 tablets at costco only $8. And that is cash pay/ no insurance.

 

[ducklite]

Ariel Mae, just because something is prescribed doesn't mean it's going to be expensive. Particularly, something like Sudafed which has been out long enough to have lots of generic versions. A perfect example is prednisone. Despite needing a script, its very cheap. 100 tablets at costco only $8. And that is cash pay/ no insurance.

Agreed. I can think of a few times that I've gotten scripts filled for various antibiotics or things along those lines that the co-pay was higher than the actual cost of the drug, so I just paid OOP.

Anne

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I have to tell you that this law annoys the heck out of me. They're worried about kids making meth or overdosing on cough syrup so my kids have to suffer because they are sick. I (will soon) have 4 kids!!! I think it is ridiculous that I have to go out 4 days in a row!!! We all parent our kids to the best of our ability ( I hope anyway) and we hope that when the times come they make the right choices, but if they don't then it is my responsibility as a parent to help them, not yours as an unknown consumer with a cold. I find this law insane. If I am correct I don't think you can even purchase it under the age of 18? I could be wrong but if that's also true then that is even more stupid. I was 17 in college. If I had a cold should I haev asked my parents to buy me some meds? Stupid law IMHO.

 

[Mkrop]

I commented before that I hate stupid laws but I do feel for the pharmacists and staff. You guys are just doing your jobs.

I am glad this law is helping some states but I guess my problem with these laws are the way they are set up. If someone in Ohio can go from store to store, then that is dumb and the real offenders will get around that. I agree with the psoter that maybe a more reasonable supply during allergy season than 10days. That is dumb. I also cant imagine having a house full of sick kids and grownups and not being able to treat them all. I cant imagine the poor mom who just dragged her sick kids into CVS at 8pm at night because the Dr finally called back and said to give them X. So you try to go buy X and they wont let you!

How is it in border states, do they check from state to state? Like I dont live far from the DE state line, could I buy some in PA and then go there and buy more, how is it tracked? See this is where I see these laws being riduclous. I think there can be a better way.

And yes ArielMae, many drugs that are prescription can wind up being cheaper than the copay on an insurance plan. Some of the people on here who were giving expert advice and opinions are doctors and pharmacists! I think they have more experience in this area than you or me!

 

[peachgirl]

Has it cut down the meth problem? I truly doubt it, based on what I'm seeing, locally.

You bet it has cut down on the problem. Here in Oklahoma, where we had a huge problem, we've seen a 90% drop in the number of meth labs. I seriously doubt that we'd see that kind of effect and other states who enacted any laws similar to ours wouldn't see similar results.

Has it curbed meth use? No, but I don't think you have a basic understanding of the problem with meth labs. The issue isn't that they are a significant source for meth users to get their supply(because they never were) and it was never expected that meth use would be reduced by this law to any great degree. The law was enacted to curb home cooked meth and it's done that amazingly well.

I'm glad the law is in place. The inconvenience of having to make more frequent purchases is a small price to pay for putting a stop to the meth lab problem.

 

[disneysteve]

A prescription costs more than over the counter/shelf bought medicine

This has never been true, and today, it is even less true than in the past.

Wal-Mart started a program last year, and others have since copied it, to sell certain generic prescription medications for $4 for a 30-day supply. They have a list of over 200 drugs available under this program. Anyone, insured or not, can go to a Wal-Mart pharmacy and fill their prescriptions for $4 each. I have sent dozens of patients there and they have been extremely grateful because I was able to save them hundreds of dollars. Since I work in a very poor area, this has been a very big deal.

There are numerous drugs on the $4 list that one might otherwise buy over the counter, like ibuprofen, cough syrup, generic Claritin and multivitamins. So Rx can definitely be cheaper than OTC with plans like this.

 

[disneysteve]

I don't think people really understand that the cashiers can't do anything. The register won't allow us to, and if it won't let us there is nothing a manager can do, it's not something that can be overwritten.

Just to clarify, in my OP, the cashier was actually right. Based on the product he had scanned, Claritin-D 24 hour, I would have been over the limit with 2 boxes. The problem, which I didn't discover until I got home, was that he had scanned the wrong product, not the one I had asked for (Claritin-D 12 hour). Had he given me the correct item, 2 boxes would not have exceeded the limit. The boxes are almost identical and the price was the same, so I didn't notice his error while I was standing there.

 

[disneysteve]

there is nothing we can do about it. It is a federal law

This is what I thought. I'm wondering why some have posted that this law isn't in effect in their area. It is a federal law. It should be in effect everywhere in the US.

 

[Green Tea]

We have heard this same thing over and over - we really don't recommend the PE as we have had so many people complain about it. Our family has tried it as well, and it didn't work for us either.

I like the "new" sudafed better than the old. The old made me very jittery. The new doesn't have that effect on me, but it still clears my sinuses up.

 

[ericamanda01]

What kills me about this law in Oregon is you have to have a DR. perscription to get these types of meds. It's true that the meth problem in the northwest is outragous, but why punish everyone. It's was fine when you had to sign in at the pharmacy and show your id. But now to have to pay to see your doctor just the get something that should be OTC. It isn't worth it to me.

 

[Nancy]

This is what I thought. I'm wondering why some have posted that this law isn't in effect in their area. It is a federal law. It should be in effect everywhere in the US.

I wonder if it's like other things, State laws can be different than federal law (like in the case of minimum wage).


So I took the new Sudafed (the PE stuff) and so far so good. I stopped sneezing and the eyes don't itch. My nose is still a bit runny but that is liveable and I don't feel real drowsy yet.

 

[Mkrop]

This is what I thought. I'm wondering why some have posted that this law isn't in effect in their area. It is a federal law. It should be in effect everywhere in the US.

Who tracks this? Who knows how much I am buying and where? Is it the state's responsibilty even if it is federal law? It seems although this may be helping in some areas of the US that this could still be abused in other states. Like I gave the example before does one state knows what the other is doing etc?

 

[TCPluto]

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

Well, you're completely wrong here. The law has had a significant impact on the number and size of meth labs across the country.