The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7442 p269
10 March 2007

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Pseudoephedrine products set to be reclassified POM

Proposals to reclassify medicines containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine as prescription-only medicines were launched this week.

Restrictions on the availability of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine have been sought in response to the use of these substances to manufacture the Class A Controlled Drug methylamphetamine.

Reclassification is the only way to restrict availability of these drugs, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency says in its consultation launched this week. “Rigorous supervision of pharmacy sales of single packs would not impact on the known practice of purchasing small quantities from multiple pharmacies by which it is easy to amass enough pseudoephedrine for manufacture of sizeable quantities of methylamphetamine,” it argues.

Further details are available from the MHRA website