Crack Down On Cold And Flu Drugs

[pacdan]

From January 1 in Queensland, any sale of medication containing pseudoephedrine – often used as a precursor to manufacture speed – will require pharmacists' approval.
Pharmacists have been ordered to question unknown and frequent buyers, and can ask for photo identification and driver's licence details in a bid to ensure customers only have a "genuine, therapeutic need", Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

Pharmacy assistants will be prohibited from selling the drugs.

Mr Robertson said the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, together with police and Queensland Health, would monitor suspicious purchases and frequent buyers to target illegal amphetamine labs in the state.

"We believe that more stringent point of sale control on these medicines is necessary to help combat the manufacture of illicit drugs in Queensland," Mr Robertson said.


"The continued diversion of medicines containing pseudoephedrine for use as a precursor to manufacture methamphetamine is an issue of grave concern for health regulators and law enforcement agencies."
The move would only impact on medications such as nasal decongestants and cold and flu medications sold at pharmacies because similar products at supermarkets didn't contain pseudoephedrine.

Mr Robertson acknowledged the tighter controls would inconvenience pharmacists and genuine customers, but insisted they were necessary.

"We recognise the overwhelming majority of Queenslanders have a genuine therapeutic need for these medications," he said.

"It's important Queenslanders are aware of these changes from 1 January and that they may be asked questions or asked for identification when buying medicines containing pseudoephedrine."

Mr Robertson said the move brought Queensland into line with new national restrictions.

Copyright 2005 News Limited. All times AEDT (GMT + 11).

 

[Splatt]

All I do is say I have hayfever heaps (which i do), and then say wirth a smile "Look mate, I'm not making meth, I know the news at tthe oment.." and get get caught staring with paranoid-eyes at the big PseudoWatch sign.

IMHO it's a shitty ameteur way to make speed/meth anyway and you'll never yield any potent, clean decent amount of meth going up the coast buying a pack of Demazin 12 hour every chemist on the way. But crooks don't care about that I guess... it'll still get sold.. and people will inject it

 

[crow011]

apparently Nurofen Plus will be served only by the pharmacist from 1st January in NSW, and the woman at the chemist today said all the cold and flu stuff will now require a doctors prescription from 1st January . . .

ive never buying N + from there again, as me wearing my TOOL tshirt and black sunglasses and nervously mumbling might have given my cheeky intentions away . . .

but seriously, can anyone else see the problems with going to a doctor just for cold and flu tablets? . . . productivity and the number of sick days used by people will go downhill and sky high, respectively . . .

is it just me or has this country started to really suck in the past 10 years . . .

 

[bikki_muncher69]

apparently Nurofen Plus will be served only by the pharmacist from 1st January in NSW, and the woman at the chemist today said all the cold and flu stuff will now require a doctors prescription from 1st January . . .

ive never buying N + from there again, as me wearing my TOOL tshirt and black sunglasses and nervously mumbling might have given my cheeky intentions away . . .

but seriously, can anyone else see the problems with going to a doctor just for cold and flu tablets? . . . productivity and the number of sick days used by people will go downhill and sky high, respectively . . .

is it just me or has this country started to really suck in the past 10 years . . .

Thats fucking rediculous having to go to the doctor to get a prescription for cold and flu medicine, people just dont have the time do make a doctors appointment just to get somthing to clear up their head!!! wtf!! what is this country coming to!! Also can someone explain this to me, i thought that with the production of meth say 1gram of psudo only converts into a few hundred mg's of meth so isnt the way of going to the parm to get psudo to make meth isnt that a waste of money? im sure on large scale operations people would have the connections to get psudo supplys diverted seems like a massive inconvenionce to me.

 

[pacdan]

the chemist today said all the cold and flu stuff will now require a doctors prescription from 1st January . . .

Thay's pretty messed up right there. Originally it was meant to be that cold and flu meds can only be served by the pharmacist(not an assistant) and that they may ask you for ID and a few questions.

I avoid the doctor like the plague, and there is no way in hell im going to go to the doctor for a minor cold or flu. Especially when my Dr does not bulk bill.

If im gonna have to pay for a Dr and then meds....i might ass well go buy a packet of Codral Black Label....Available from all leading dealers- No prescription needed. I hear it clears copld and flu symptoms remarkably well.

 

[hoptis]

Govt cracks down on flu tablet sales

The Federal Government says tightening of controls on the sale of cold-and-flu medications will help stop organised criminal gangs from gaining the drugs in large quantities.

Justice Minister Chris Ellison says the new regulations will mean drugs containing pseudoephedrine will now only be sold in pharmacies.

He says the illegal trade is one of the biggest challenges the Government faces in the war against drugs.

Senator Ellison says a doctor's prescription will still not be needed but pharmacies will have greater control over the supply of all tablets containing pseudoephedrine.

"That has been important because we have found that organised criminal gangs, particularly bikie gangs, have been diverting pseudoephedrine and ephedrine from medication, which has been freely available in large quantities, and diverting that into the use of manufacturing illicit amphetamine-type stimulants," he said.

Senator Ellison says the Federal Government is also planning to tighten laws relating to the use of tablet presses.

"It's essential that we crack down on these tablet presses, some of which are portable and can manufacture up to 3,000-plus tablets an hour," he said.

"That gives you an example of how important these tablet presses are to organised criminal gangs, who are trafficking in amphetamine-type stimulants."

From ABC Online

 

[Bent Mk2]

FFS if I rock into the chemist and ask for 10 packs of sudafed for my sick girlfriend then by all means stop me, but seriously why hassle the average person for one packet. Odds are you feel like shit at the time, would much rather be at home in bed, do you really need some guy in a white coat doing your head in.

And why the hell should you pay $40+ to see a doctor to get a prescription for sudafed!

 

[Splatt]

Wonder if Demazin 6 hour will change their logo/appearence because of these laws.

 

[KostoN]

Splatt, why do you think its an amature way of making Meth ?

IMO, if very good product is the result of reaction, then they are not an amature. Pseudo pills nowadays have gaaks in it that make it hard to get Pseudoephedrine out of them.

Where can one get Pseudoephedrine in bulk?

 

[phase_dancer]

IMHO it's a shitty ameteur way to make speed/meth anyway and you'll never yield any potent, clean decent amount of meth going up the coast buying a pack of Demazin 12 hour every chemist on the way.

Done correctly, using properly sourced or prepared chemicals, particularly using birch reduction, yields from pseudoephedrine would be expected to be quite high. If the final product was properly cleaned, there is no reason to believe a very high purity product wouldn't be obtained.

However, once imported or locally obtained pharm grade pseudo becomes mostly a thing of the past, the alternative is likely to involve ephedra - grown locally or smuggled where possible. It might be a long way round to producing meth, and the extract will almost certainly contain other impurities (making it way less cleaner than properly extracted pharmaceutical grade pseudo), but we are talking about a market that is well and truly here to stay. Over the past few months, as ice has become scarce around these parts, I've heard of some incredible offers. "Crank whores" - those who would sell their soul for a g - will abound in a pseudo-less world.

Where can one get Pseudoephedrine in bulk?

Any chemical supplier can get it for you, but IMO you'd want to at least have an account with the company, and have a completely legit reason for obtaining it. As it is a Cat # 1 substance on the Code of Practice for Supply Diversion into Illicit Drug Manufacture, anything over a very small amount would undoutedly be checked via a visit. But then again, with a genuine reason for wanting it, you'd have nothing to worry about anyway would you?

BTW, without an appropriate prescription, stocking up for future colds and hayfever would not be lawful in any respect .

Govt cracks down on flu tablet sales

The Federal Government says tightening of controls on the sale of cold-and-flu medications will help stop organised criminal gangs from gaining the drugs in large quantities.

Justice Minister Chris Ellison says the new regulations will mean drugs containing pseudoephedrine will now only be sold in pharmacies.

He says the illegal trade is one of the biggest challenges the Government faces in the war against drugs.

Senator Ellison says a doctor's prescription will still not be needed but pharmacies will have greater control over the supply of all tablets containing pseudoephedrine.

"That has been important because we have found that organised criminal gangs, particularly bikie gangs, have been diverting pseudoephedrine and ephedrine from medication, which has been freely available in large quantities, and diverting that into the use of manufacturing illicit amphetamine-type stimulants," he said.

Senator Ellison says the Federal Government is also planning to tighten laws relating to the use of tablet presses.

"It's essential that we crack down on these tablet presses, some of which are portable and can manufacture up to 3,000-plus tablets an hour," he said.

"That gives you an example of how important these tablet presses are to organised criminal gangs, who are trafficking in amphetamine-type stimulants."

This is interesting in that it's finally being addressed. I know that in the past I've stated that pill presses were near on impossible to obtain. While this may have been true on some fronts, nevertheless, presses have been pretty much easy to obtain if you knew where to go. AFAIK Imported presses have until now not been required to be registered, and as such, several machines have no-doubt been diverted for illicit production. Some have probably also been ordered openly, with no fear of prosecution.

A press may start off in a legit business, say, for making health products, but what happens to it if the business folds, or later decides to contract out the pill making? With no registration required, these presses can be, and are sold via secondhand scientific suppliers and online auctions. Judging from the recent news reports mentioning the lab busts where presses were found, and from the numerous pills rumoured to locally produced, it seems theres no shortage of presses in Australia.

Although it's perhaps easier to say being a non-user these days, I do honestly believe something has to be done to attempt to reduce availability of illicit amphetamines, particularly meth. From a harm reduction and health perspective, I see regular (daily) meth use as a massive problem in Australia. However, as I've indicated, I don't think the current measures will ultimately prove very successful, with the result likely to be a more adulterated or poorly made product. Again, it's the end user who will suffer the most.

 

[Jwlst]

lol now the biker gangs will start to attack trucks carrying psedo tablets, to meet the demand. Maybe just break into a pharmacy at night instead? all this shit does is create more crime.

 

[Diacetylus]

Over the past few months, as ice has become scarce around these parts, I've heard of, and witnessed some incredible offers. "Crank whores" - those who would sell their soul for a g - will abound in a pseudo-less world.

Dunno if you've been around these parts of Melbourne, but I live around the corner of an illegal red-light district, and this place has had hookers on corners of side-streets for decades now, charging much, much cheaper than what a gram of Meth/Ice would go for.

 

[Splatt]

phase: yeah I guess I was out of line saying that. I guess the pseudo powders that can be bought on the black market would just be extracted from cold and flu tablets. Sometimes you see police re[ports saying the pseudo was only 70% pure that was seized etc.. wonder why

 

[person]

Yeah theyve had restrictions on cold and flu medicines in NZ for a while now, all the chemists have cameras, and when you ask for cold and flu crap they turn into Nazis!@!.. Since the crankdown, im finding now the "P lab" trend has dropped, since there is loads of ice/4-mar imported into NZ, so now its easier to buy imported crank, than locally made crap powder. Seems like all the gangs are working together on this, as it is now very easy to obtain, and economical to buy in quarters/halfs or gram than a point. A little bit off topic, but herbal pills here are now more popular than real drugs!@! we call them bzp whores lol.

 

[Bent Mk2]

lol now the biker gangs will start to attack trucks carrying psedo tablets, to meet the demand. Maybe just break into a pharmacy at night instead? all this shit does is create more crime.

They rolled a double semi-trailer on the Hume last weekend for Woodstock bourbon pallets, so no doubt they've got 'speed trucks' in their sites too!

 

[zhuk]

is it just me or has this country started to really suck in the past 10 years . . .

er, yes. in more ways than I can name 8(




anyone old enough to remember the 80s knows this is true

 

[aunty establishment]

All these pseudoephedrine-based medications are being gradually reformulated to contain phenylephrine anyway, which will move them back to being OTC. If you have a legitimate reason to use the medication, this is a pretty good solution IMO.

 

[phase_dancer]

Thanks for the comments pete, and also for your interesting post. The Grace Slick radio broadcast from the 60's also featured Frank Zappa. The Quote taken from Snow Blind by Robert Sabbag reads:

.....look, man, smoke all the grass you want, and do acid, if it's Owsley, but for your own good stay away from speed - it'll fry your brains and ruin your liver and, in general, it'll make you about as fucked up as your parents....speed kills

This book also has a couple of other classic statements regarding speed. I've previously quoted another piece from Snow Blind, which is perhaps a bit overdone- perhaps not, but nevertheless, it holds some truth. UTSE



Back to pseudo

It's interesting to consider what the surviving producers might do if/when OTC pseudo becomes completely unavailable. Some might read my comments on ephedra and say that it's far too uneconomical - lots of raw material needed to get any significant quantity of pseudoephedrine - but what needs to be remembered is that there is also another firmly entrenched market supplier associated with pseudo i.e. the groups who supply the other chemicals for the reduction process. Over the years, lab raids and busts have indicated that those who make or supply the reducing chemicals often don't supply pseudo, or produce meth themselves. This obviously makes busting all involved a little more difficult. And, with up till now a fairly consistent demand for these chemicals, this would have been a tidy earner for some.

There are of course many ways of producing meth that don't involve pseudoephedrine, but these by comparison are lengthy and involve additional chemicals and processes. There are possibly even other chemicals still available which contain the ephedrine molecule attached to another moiety (pls don't ask). However, whatever the "next best" alternative is, it will likely not be as convenient as the present - widely- employed "Aussie" method. The relative simplicity of the reduction process and how that has impacted on availability should not be underestimated, as by nature, it has also offered a sort of protection to producers, in that the minimal apparatus required can be set up in a small area and be hidden in a cupboard or car etc between runs.

So in review, we can speculate on some of the main reasons why ephedra will be the most attractive replacement to OTC pseudoephedrine.

1. The process/es being relatively easy/ quick to do
2. Procedure suits clandestine environments - relative to other methods:
   • less waste to dispose of for given amount of product
   • less equipment required
   • process can be refined to produce good yields
3. Strong existing market acceptance of current product (as opposed to a method where the unprocessed end product looks or smells different)
4. Ephedra reportedly grows well in Australia and seems to be widely available, despite the plant's current classification
5. Suppliers of illicit chemicals used with currently employed methods already exist.

 

[aunty establishment]

Pfizer's stance on PSE is contradictory to what they are executing in the market, and that's all I can say on that. The reschedule is locked and loaded.

 

[ayjay]

My understanding is that the majority of pseudo used for meth production is sourced in bulk at a wholesale level - particularly after the crackdown on OTC pseudo containing meds in various states already.

BTW - phenylephrine is pretty crap as a decongestant, cf pseudo