STATEHOUSE (April 28, 2016) – State Rep. David Frizzell’s (R-Indianapolis) bill preventing those with methamphetamine-related felonies from purchasing pseudoephedrine (PSE) without a prescription was ceremonially signed into law today.
PSE, an ingredient in certain cold medications, is a key precursor for manufacturing meth. Currently, it must be kept behind pharmacy counters and dispensed according to daily, monthly and yearly individual purchase limits. Frizzell’s law will build on these efforts by keeping PSE accessible to consumers, but prohibit all individuals convicted of a meth-related felony from purchasing these medications without a prescription.
“Making it harder for meth-related offenders to obtain PSE will help to address Indiana’s meth lab problem,” Frizzell said. “This law provides a strong solution to the state’s meth epidemic by helping to keep meth precursors out of the wrong hands.”
Indiana has led the nation in the number of meth lab busts for each of the last three years.
The National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx), which tracks medication purchases at pharmacies, will be instructed to issue stop-sale alerts in real time when meth-related felons attempt to purchase PSE without a prescription. The alerts will be issued for persons who have been convicted of any specific meth-related felony within the last seven years.
The policy will not affect law-abiding Hoosiers who do not have a meth-related conviction on their record.
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Rep. Frizzell represents a portion of Marion and Johnson counties.
NOTE TO THE EDITOR: Click here to download a high-definition, on-camera interview with Rep. Frizzell regarding this new law.
