Don’t require prescription for cold medicine

Retailers across Indiana are committed to providing law-abiding consumers access to the medications that they need. One such type of product is cold, cough, flu and allergy medicine containing pseudoephedrine (PSE). Over the past few years, some in the Indiana legislature have attempted to restrict access to PSE by forcing every citizen to get a prescription to use the medicine — just because there is a criminal minority who illegally use it to make methamphetamine.

Every time this proposal is put forth in the legislature, retailers hear complaints from customers who know what a burden that this restriction would be.

Now a recent survey by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has confirmed what our member companies have been hearing from their customers. The survey which was conducted in Indiana and four other states, found that in our state, 98 percent of cold, cough and flu sufferers purchase non-prescription medication to treat their ailments, in addition to 87 percent of nasal allergy sufferers. Furthermore, 93 percent of Hoosiers want access to all legally available medications available to them at the full service pharmacy where they shop. Even if our customers are not currently using these products, 87 percent of Indiana residents want to have complete access to these medicines. This survey demonstrates that without a doubt, consumers reject policies that make it much harder — and more costly — to purchase cold, cough, flu and allergy medicine containing PSE.

As Indiana continues to fight against the meth problems facing our state, our legislators need to not only understand how strongly consumers feel about over-restrictive PSE policies but also how costly and misguided those policies are. According to a study by Ball State University earlier this year, a prescription requirement for PSE could cost Indiana over $90 million per year. This would be from a combination of lost state sales tax revenue and increased costs for families being forced to see a doctor, among other costs.

Grant Monahan

President, Indiana Retail Council