The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7453 p597
26 May 2007

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Society and NPA call on pharmacists to address problem of pseudoephedrine misuse

Pharmacists are being called upon by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the National Pharmacy Association to put in place a number of measures that will reduce the potential for pseudoephedrine- or ephedrine-containing products bought from pharmacies being used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

In a letter to be sent to members of both organisations next week, David Pruce, the Society’s director of quality improvement, and Michelle Styles, the NPA’s acting director of pharmacy practice, appeal to pharmacists to ensure that ephedrine- and pseudoephedrine-containing products are not available for self-selection. They also suggest that requests to purchase more than one pack or repeat requests are referred to the pharmacist.

The NPA and the Society ask that all pharmacy staff are made aware of the potential for misuse associated with these products and that sales are refused when there are reasonable grounds for suspecting misuse.

The letter comes as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency consults on proposals to reclassify pseudoephedrine- and ephedrine-containing products from pharmacy to prescription only medicine status.

The Society and the NPA are opposed to the planned reclassification but say they would support voluntary measures to address the issue.