e-Profile Login and ID Quick Search
Minnesota News: Methamphetamine Precursors - An Update
Reprinted from the April 2006 Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Newsletter.
In 2005, Minnesota joined the ranks of states that have placed additional restrictions on the methamphetamine precursor drugs
ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Most products containing these drugs, either alone or in combination with other drugs, must now
be kept behind the counter and sold only by pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, or pharmacy clerks. Liquid products, liquid-filled gel capsules, and pediatric products labeled for administration to children do not have to be kept behind the counter.
Packages must contain no more than 3 grams of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, calculated as the base drug, not the salt. For example, Claritin-D® 24-Hour contains 240 mg of pseudoephedrine sulfate, but only 181.8 mg of the base. Consequently, 15 tablets contain 181.8 mg* 15 = 2727 mg or 2.727 grams of pseudoephedrine base. Two of the 15-count packages of this product would contain about 5.5 grams of pseudoephedrine.
No more than two packages of products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine may be sold in a single over-the-counter (OTC)
transaction. No person may make OTC purchases of more than two packages, or more than 6 grams, per month. Licensed practitioners who are authorized to prescribe drugs may issue a prescription for larger quantities.
For OTC sales, the pharmacy must require the buyer to provide photographic identification showing the buyer’s date of birth.
Individuals must be at least 18 years old to purchase products that contain ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. The buyer must sign a paper or electronic document listing the date of the sale, the name of the buyer, and the amount of drug sold. Please be aware, however, that on April 8, 2006, a new federal law regulating pseudoephedrine and ephedrine sales became effective. We will be reviewing this law for conflicts with our state law and reporting back to you with our findings in a future issue of this Newsletter.
