Federal pseudoephedrine sale laws

[theredbaron47]

Most people who buy products containing pseudoephedrine from the pharmacy realize that it is a strictly regulated item by the government, and in doing so, completely understand why they have to sign their life away, as well as their first born, to the Super-Duper Federal Pseudoephedrine Sale Log Book(TM).

I'm sure most of you have purchased said items at some point, but if you haven't, you are only allowed to purchase up to 3.6 grams of pseudoephedrine per day. It can be spread out in multiple products, or in just one product, but the law states no more than 3.6 grams per day (and another law that states no more than a certain amount for another time frame... I want to say per month, but I'm not certain). The register tells us how much PSE is in a certain product when we scan it, so we can tell how much the customer is buying at that sale.

Point being, of course, that pseudoephedrine is the principle ingredient in crystal meth, so people could buy shittons of the stuff and cook up their own crystal meth. (OT: one of my chemistry professors actually wrote the mechanism on the board for how to turn a molecule of PSE into a molecule of crystal meth, i.e. the instructions on how to do so God, I miss that man!)

Okay, lengthy background out of the way, most customers are very aware, and will crack jokes about cooking up crystal meth as they sign the log book.

Notice I say most customers.

I had one lady today who, while not sucky towards me, would not shut the hell up about it.

*She hands me a card for Mucinex-D 18-count*
Me: *as I'm pulling it off the shelf* ...and I'll need to see a photo ID for this sale, ma'am.
Her: What? Why??
Me: *explains that PSE is the main ingredient in these behind-the-counter medicines, and that said sales are regulated by the gov't*
Her: That's ridiculous!
Me: As ridiculous as you may think it is, it is a federal law.
Her: Well, my driver's license number is XX-XXX-XXX, use that!
Me: I'm sorry, but the physical ID must be present. Again... federal law. They don't mess around with this stuff.
Her: This is FUCKING ridiculous!!!
Me (thinking): Get your ID, or GFY.
Her: HEY, (husband)! GO GET YOUR ID FROM THE CAR, THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT COOKING UP METH!!
*takes hubby a good 10 minutes to get the ID from the car*
Her: That is seriously a stupid law. Why the hell does the government have to get involved?
Me: Well, they've decided that it is in the best interests of the people to regulate the sale of PSE products to try and cut down on the production and trafficking of crystal meth.
Her: That's a load of bullshit.

It was right about then that I realized that I wasn't going to change her mind, so I stopped saying anything right about there, and we both waited until her hubby got back with his ID. The rest of the transaction went without any problems.

While it is a hassle getting everyone's ID and filling out the log book (date, name, ID check, address, product, PSE per product, total PSE sold, customer signature), it is for the good of the people. What was she doing bitching to me at the pharmacy about it, anyway? Write your governor or congressman! Hell, I don't care what you do, just don't bitch to me about it, because God knows I can't change it!

[BookstoreEscapee]

I've only bought "real" Sudafed once since that law went into effect. At Target they put your ID info into the computer and then you just sign the touch screen on the credit card machine. I don't understand the point of arguing federal law with store employees, either.

[Fungus]

Dear Gawd Red Baron! I can't believe people haven't figured this out yet. It has been this way for a very long time now and the meth problem has been on the news. What is with these people? Oh, and once someone says its the law, why can't these sucky suckheads figure out that being sucky to the cashier is not going to help?

[BookstoreEscapee]

Dear Gawd Red Baron! I can't believe people haven't figured this out yet. It has been this way for a very long time now and the meth problem has been on the news. What is with these people? Oh, and once someone says its the law, why can't these sucky suckheads figure out that being sucky to the cashier is not going to help?

cuz they suck

[Dave1982]

It's been the law for MUCH longer that you need to show ID for cigarettes if you appear 27 or younger, but that hasn't stopped anyone from raising hell about it.

[theredbaron47]

Oh, and once someone says its the law, why can't these sucky suckheads figure out that being sucky to the cashier is not going to help?

Because they need SOMEONE to bitch at, and they're too lazy/stupid/sucky/whatever to complain to anyone who might be able to do anything about it.

It's been the law for MUCH longer that you need to show ID for cigarettes if you appear 27 or younger, but that hasn't stopped anyone from raising hell about it.

Very good point. It's the inconvenience that gets them.

[qaxons]

Bah, Pseudoephedrine is a waste of time... NyQuil is a cure-all. Well, it may not cure you, but you don't freaking care or are too comatose to do so. Heh, even DayQuil knocks me out XD

Seriously though, If I wanted to be awake for three days, taking apart electronic equipment and writing insane drivel into notebooks (yay CSI stereotype!), I'd just OD on 5-Hour energy drinks and Mountain Dew MDX... <.< Less chance of my face rotting, though I can't say the same about my teeth.

Wait, is this thread about the law, the SCs related to the law, or meth? I can't decide

[myswtghst]

I don't understand the point of arguing federal law with store employees, either.

Remember now, if it makes sense, it's certainly not allowed.

All that aside, yeah, it's a pain when I'm supersick and just want my drugs to have to wait for someone in the pharm to get me my drugs, then to have to fill out the log book, but I understand that being mad at the pharm tech isn't going to change federal law.

[chops]

Remember now, if it makes sense, it's certainly not allowed.

...and rude. Don't forget rude.

[GolfCart34]

The whole pseudoephedrine debacle is the reason why I switched to nose spray for my allergy medication. I used to buy Alavert D-12 until it got to be too much of a pain to buy it (mostly because I shop later at night when pharmacies tend to be closed). Although, the Walgreens pharmacy is open 24 hours... But I wouldn't go near the local Walgreens where I was living down in Virginia after dark, especially since it was in a rather bad neighborhood and they never had the damn stuff.

The pseudoephedrine substitute (phenelephren, or whatever it's called) that they sell over the counter also does nothing to help with my congestion. It just sucks that the idiots who make crystal meth out of pseudoephedrine had to ruin things for the rest of us allergy sufferers.

(BTW, I'm not complaining about the federal law stuff because I completely understand it, I'm just complaining about the nut jobs out there who ruined things for everybody else.)

[blas]

The best medicine is actually Blackberry Brandy. Tastes like shit, worse than any cold medicine I've ever tasted, but it works wonders when you feel something coming on or if you are already sick.

Buy either a whole bottle if you are really sick, or a little 99 cent bottle of it for a quick fix. Go home. Wrap yourself up in tons of blankets and heavy pajamas. Guzzle the brandy. Go to sleep. Sweat it out. Yes, it's gross.....but you feel so much better when you wake up!

[Dave1982]

Bah, Pseudoephedrine is a waste of time... NyQuil is a cure-all.

Erm....NyQuil (and DayQuil) contain pseudoephedrine. Well, they used to until the new laws went into effect. Now they caintain phenylephrine, which is crap.

[zzapp the witch]

Sorry, I'm one of those personal responsibility types. I haven't bought it since they instated the ID crap. Besides, there's better stuff out there just at the herbal shop, or in your backyard, if you know what to look for. Remember when they were talking about regulating sage of all things??

Let people do what they want and fuck up their own lives, they try to fuck up mine in the process, I shoot em.

Yeah, there's hardly any logic in there, but the whole "being babysat by big brother because he knows whats good for us" thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. So much for "freedom."

[napoleana]

I feel for you. Tennessee is apparently a big meth state, so it's all looking at you suspiciously if you have a cold that makes you go through more than one pack of the stuff.

In addition, to that, my family buys the "PE" version of the major brand who's name I can't think of at the moment - the version that's supposed to act just as well but has no pseudoephedrine. But I have to make a special trip for "meth ingredients" whenever I get sick, because that stuff makes me sicker - sick to my stomach and utterly dizzy, can't do anything but sleep all day.

[Amethyst Hunter]

To some extent, I have to agree with the SC: It IS bullshit. The druggies, fuckwit bastards that they are, fucked things up for the rest of us who just want to get our cold medications and go home and collapse in a miserable huddling pile of plagueness.

But she didn't have to be so nasty to you about it. As you and others have said, it's not like you control the laws about the stuff.