Carded for cold medicine

[liamsmom]

I was running errands this afternoon and stopped in Target to pick up some Dayquil, because I'm sick and needed some ASAP. I was asked to provide ID at the checkout. I asked why and the clerk said, "For the medicine." That is not a real answer--it was the only thing I was buying--but I'm sick and not up for arguing so I showed it her. She just scanned it and that was it. It got me thinking: is this a Target policy? I'm not aware of a law requiring proof of ID. FWIW, I live in NY.

[sidmand]

Yes, for cold medicine or anything containing pseudoephedrine (I think that's what it's called).

I believe it can be used to make meth: http://www.ehow.com/facts_6803903_monitors-purchasing-cold-medicine_.html

and now they're monitoring it. I know for sure all Targets do so and I think almost everywhere does.

[artvandalay]

It's not just Target. I have to show ID whenever I buy cold medicine at Walgreens. They don't even have the medicine anymore, just the card with a picture of it. You bring it to the pharmacy, they scan your ID and then ring you up.

I forget the exact reason why, but I think people can make other drugs with the stuff that's in cold medicine.

I hope you feel better soon :D

[AnnieW625]

It's been a law in California for a couple of years now if you buy anything with pseudonephrine in it. The main ingredient in sudafed makes meth. . Advil Cold & Sinus is my friend.

[cckwmh]

that is strange because they are suppose to card you and track it when pseudoephedrine is the active ingredient, not Phenylephrine. did she just ask you for it and look at it, or enter your info into the register?

there is a limit to the monthly allotment of products containing pseudoephedrine you can purchase. it is a way to combat meth production. i know this is off topic, but i wonder if the amount of meth on the streets has changed since this program started because it is a huge PTA to buy meds now if the pharmacy has a long line.

[SnuggleBuggles]

It's normal. There are other products you can buy that don't require it I

Beth

[khm]

Yeah, it's been years in my neck of the woods. I believe it is now statewide and mandatory for the stores, but was voluntary at one point.

When it started I was back and forth between 2 states with the kids weekly. During one bad stretch of us all being sick and needing infant, kid and adult versions - I was sure the Walgreens database was going to flag me when I'd get to state B and realize I forgot my entire "stash" in state A.

[liamsmom]

Interesting. DH said the other night when he bought Nyquil for me that he wasn't carded. I guess it was a Target policy and not state law.


that is strange because they are suppose to card you and track it when pseudoephedrine is the active ingredient, not Phenylephrine. did she just ask you for it and look at it, or enter your info into the register?

there is a limit to the monthly allotment of products containing pseudoephedrine you can purchase. it is a way to combat meth production. i know this is off topic, but i wonder if the amount of meth on the streets has changed since this program started because it is a huge PTA to buy meds now if the pharmacy has a long line.

She scanned the barcode on my ID. I have no idea if that entered me into a database or verified my age or what. I highly doubt laws like these actually have any effect on drug use though. In Austria, cold medicine is considered a prescription drug and you can only buy it from a pharmacist.

[JBaxter]

Same in Maryland... They dont want you to make Meth with it ;)

[ellies mom]

there is a limit to the monthly allotment of products containing pseudoephedrine you can purchase. it is a way to combat meth production. i know this is off topic, but i wonder if the amount of meth on the streets has changed since this program started because it is a huge PTA to buy meds now if the pharmacy has a long line.

It wasn't so much as to lower the amount of meth available on the street as it was to decrease the number of home meth labs. The big producers weren't "distilling" the pseudoephedrine from sudafed type products in the first place. Meth labs are pretty nasty and dangerous and very expensive to clean up (think hazardous materials team clean-ups) so the main goal was to help reduce that problem. And the last I had heard, it had made a difference but I don't remember how much.

I live in one of the areas where the restrictions were originally put in place. And while I agree, it is a royal pain, there was a newspaper article written about the same time talking about the effects that home meth labs have on children. Well, let's just say some of it was very haunting and 7+ years later, I still can't get some of the pictures and stories out of my mind. So yeah, I don't have a problem with it.

[veronica]

been happening to me here in NJ for close to 3 years or so...

[SnuggleBuggles]

Interesting. DH said the other night when he bought Nyquil for me that he wasn't carded. I guess it was a Target policy and not state law.



It really depends on the ingredients. There are plenty of OTC cold medicines at Target you can buy that don't require being carded. Or maybe the list where I live is just smaller than other states?

Beth

[edurnemk]

Yes, for cold medicine or anything containing pseudoephedrine (I think that's what it's called).

I believe it can be used to make meth: http://www.ehow.com/facts_6803903_monitors-purchasing-cold-medicine_.html

and now they're monitoring it. I know for sure all Targets do so and I think almost everywhere does.

:yeahthat: And every other pharmacy does it, too.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

just echoing PP, this is really common, for the past few years i've had to show ID to purchase certain cold meds (i guess containing pseudoephedrine or whatever it's called). at my local CVS, Target and other stores, they don't even have it available in the aisle, they just have pictures of it and then you have to take that picture and ask for it at the counter (i guess this is to prevent people from stealing it).

[TwinFoxes]

Interesting. DH said the other night when he bought Nyquil for me that he wasn't carded. I guess it was a Target policy and not state law.




Nyquil doesn't have pseudoephedrine. I'm pretty sure it's a federal law. A lot of products changed formulations when the law went into effect, because they knew folks wouldn't go through the trouble of going to the pharmacist.

[elephantmeg]

it has to do with meth labs

[liamsmom]

I'm feeling more clear-headed now (thanks to DayQuil ;)) and I think I can express my thoughts more articulately. I know that pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) is a major component of methamphetamine and there have been legal restrictions regarding how much can be sold at one time, and keeping it behind the counter. It's never really affected me because I don't cook meth and Nyquil and Dayquil are as hardcore as I get--and they contain phenylephrine, not pseudoephedrine.

As far as ID is concerned, if it's the law, well then it's the law. But I was concerned about Target's policy. I think asking for someone's ID (if it's not the law) is an invasion of privacy. I don't know if the employee just asked because she didn't know about the different ingredients, or if Target has a policy regarding ALL cold medicine. It's really not a big deal, but it bothered me at the time.

Thanks for your responses.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I'm feeling more clear-headed now (thanks to DayQuil ;)) and I think I can express my thoughts more articulately. I know that pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) is a major component of methamphetamine and there have been legal restrictions regarding how much can be sold at one time, and keeping it behind the counter. It's never really affected me because I don't cook meth and Nyquil and Dayquil are as hardcore as I get--and they contain phenylephrine, not pseudoephedrine.

As far as ID is concerned, if it's the law, well then it's the law. But I was concerned about Target's policy. I think asking for someone's ID (if it's not the law) is an invasion of privacy. I don't know if the employee just asked because she didn't know about the different ingredients, or if Target has a policy regarding ALL cold medicine. It's really not a big deal, but it bothered me at the time.

Thanks for your responses.

hm, i guess i'm a bit confused by this. At some stores when paying for things with a credit card I often get asked to show my ID. It never crossed my mind of it being an invasion of privacy..in fact, it seems like the purpose is actually to protect my privacy, because they're trying to make sure someone else isn't fraudulently using my credit card (which has happened to me before unfortunately). i guess i'm the other way around, sometimes it kind of bothers me when i pay with my CC and they just swipe it and don't ask for ID or anything.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Unlikely they would have been able to swipe your ID unless prompted by the register to do so. I tried looking at Target's website and just saw what we all said- items with certain ingredients necessitate carding.

Beth

[maiaann]

When it started I was back and forth between 2 states with the kids weekly. During one bad stretch of us all being sick and needing infant, kid and adult versions - I was sure the Walgreens database was going to flag me when I'd get to state B and realize I forgot my entire "stash" in state A.

LOL!:hysterical:

I get all panicky too when checking out. I understand the precautionary measures, and I'm used to it - it's been in practice here for years. Does anybody know how much you're "allowed" to purchase before a red flag goes off? I've always wondered...

[khm]

Yeah, I'm sure Target's system is set up to prompt the Target employee if ID is needed for a particular item in their database (for whatever reason, law or their policy on this OTC med). In a normal transaction for say a loaf of bread, with no such prompt, there would be no way for her to scan your ID in.

[liamsmom]

hm, i guess i'm a bit confused by this. At some stores when paying for things with a credit card I often get asked to show my ID. It never crossed my mind of it being an invasion of privacy..in fact, it seems like the purpose is actually to protect my privacy, because they're trying to make sure someone else isn't fraudulently using my credit card (which has happened to me before unfortunately). i guess i'm the other way around, sometimes it kind of bothers me when i pay with my CC and they just swipe it and don't ask for ID or anything.

:yeahthat: I get that. I wouldn't have a problem with showing ID with a credit card. But I was paying for one item with cash. I probably looked like a drug addict though, with my red nose and puffy eyes. :)

[bigpassport]

Yes, its to crack down on the manufacture of meth. I've purchased Advil Cold and Sinus three times this winter and have had to present my ID every time. They write down my name and driver's license number, and I have to sign. Big pain in the rear. The scond time around I asked the pharmacist if I could go ahead and buy two boxes to save myself the time. He said no. I guess only one box at a time.

[Penny's Pappa]

They do it around here too, and not just at Target. I can't stand it. I once bought some Sudafed at Meijer and had to present my ID and sign for the box at the pharmacist and then present my ID again at the register. Total PITA.

But when I go to pick up my prescription pain pills, am I carded? Nope. They just hand me my pills and smile goodbye, all the while I could be running out back to sell 'em to high schoolers for $5 a pop (I don't really know today's prevailing street value :) ). But, hey, I got a doctor's note so it's all good.

Yes, pseudoephedrine is used to make meth, and yes, we should crack down on meth labs, but there has got to be another, more effective way to catch these people than to make everyone with a stuffy nose feel like a criminal.

Besides, if underage kids across America can buy beer with a fake ID (I was friends with a guy who used one that looked NOTHING like him -- worked every time), you'd better damned well believe that someone with a meth operation could buy some Sudafed if they really wanted it. And how much Sudafed would you need to make meth anyway? A box? A case?

The whole policy just makes no sense to me. Perhaps one of you street pharmacist mamas can shed some more light on this! ;)

[dowlinal]

LOL!:hysterical:

I get all panicky too when checking out. I understand the precautionary measures, and I'm used to it - it's been in practice here for years. Does anybody know how much you're "allowed" to purchase before a red flag goes off? I've always wondered...

It's been the law her in NJ for quite a while and I know that I got flagged once when my 2nd daughter was under two. We were at the shore and my DH and both daughters were sick so I was buying adult, kids, and infant cold meds back before they were off the market. A day before I had bought myself claritin-D and I had bought a bottle of kid medicine that was subsequently knocked over. All that happened was that a manager came over and told me they couldn't sell any more of the meds to me. She told me she felt bad about it since I was clearly a frazzled mom. I'm not sure if they were supposed to do more, but nothing else ever happened and I went home and made my deathly ill DH go out for the meds.

[SnuggleBuggles]

You know, I am not bothered by the ID thing b/c I think other meds work better anyway. :) Maybe experiment with the ones that don't require the ID and hassle? I like generic Claritin vs pseudophed- lasts all day and keeps the sniffles at bay.

Beth

[tmahanes]

I also think some of the cold meds require id because of the alcohol in them. I think in VA nyquil is something you can be carded for and cannot get unless you are over 18

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[TwinFoxes]

:yeahthat: I get that. I wouldn't have a problem with showing ID with a credit card. But I was paying for one item with cash. I probably looked like a drug addict though, with my red nose and puffy eyes. :)

OK, since it doesn't have the meth ingredient, and you were paying cash, I think it was a freak thing. Like maybe she assumed it had that ingredient, so she swiped your ID at the point she normally would, even if she wasn't prompted. She may have even gotten an error message after she did it, but didn't bother saying "oops, I didn't need to do that". I've bought OTC Meds at Target before and not had that happen.

[Penny's Pappa]

I also think some of the cold meds require id because of the alcohol in them. I think in VA nyquil is something you can be carded for and cannot get unless you are over 18

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I dunno. A lot of mouthwashes have alcohol in them too and you don't get carded for that. Besides isn't the legal drinking age 21?


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[Reyadawnbringer]

I also think some of the cold meds require id because of the alcohol in them. I think in VA nyquil is something you can be carded for and cannot get unless you are over 18

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:yeahthat: This is what I was told once, but I don't really know for sure.

[tmahanes]

I dunno. A lot of mouthwashes have alcohol in them too and you don't get carded for that. Besides isn't the legal drinking age 21?


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Sorry had the wrong ingredient. Apparently teenagers are using dextromethorphan to get high. Therefore some stores/states have a policy not to sell cold medicines with it to people under 18. I think in VA it is a law.

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[indigo99]

It's been in the news here in TN that they're trying to pass a law to require a prescription to buy the cold/allergy treatments used to make meth. That will be a major PAIN for a lot of people, but I'd support it.

[gatorsmom]

They do it around here too, and not just at Target. I can't stand it. I once bought some Sudafed at Meijer and had to present my ID and sign for the box at the pharmacist and then present my ID again at the register. Total PITA.

But when I go to pick up my prescription pain pills, am I carded? Nope. They just hand me my pills and smile goodbye, all the while I could be running out back to sell 'em to high schoolers for $5 a pop (I don't really know today's prevailing street value :) ). But, hey, I got a doctor's note so it's all good.

Yes, pseudoephedrine is used to make meth, and yes, we should crack down on meth labs, but there has got to be another, more effective way to catch these people than to make everyone with a stuffy nose feel like a criminal.

Besides, if underage kids across America can buy beer with a fake ID (I was friends with a guy who used one that looked NOTHING like him -- worked every time), you'd better damned well believe that someone with a meth operation could buy some Sudafed if they really wanted it. And how much Sudafed would you need to make meth anyway? A box? A case?

The whole policy just makes no sense to me. Perhaps one of you street pharmacist mamas can shed some more light on this! ;)

A friend of ours is a cop in Minnesota. He said that the law limiting those drugs has helped TREMENDOUSLY. I remember he gave me a statistic (which of course went in one ear and out the other) but at the time I was shocked. It really is a very small inconvenience to prevent so many people being tragically hurt.

People who really, really want to make meth of course can get it. But this makes it a little more inconvenient for your average joe in the very poor upper Minnesota towns trying to find any way possible to make some money.

This way works and is relatively easy. If only it were so easy to dramatically reduce the selling and using of cocaine!

[Smillow]

I was able to but 2 boxes of "real" Sudafed at Target a couple of weeks ago. I had to pick it up @ the pharmacy & I had brought up 2 of the cards for it & asked if I could buy 2 - the woman behind the counter wasn't sure if the register would let me, it did. They just swiped my license - I didn't have to sign anything.

[kijip]

Here you have to get all of that stuff from the pharmacy counter, they keep it locked up like cigarettes. And you then have to have your name and information logged and your id checked. I am sure that this is a newer ny state law or something now because target is not going to go off on their own and add a cost for themselves.

I support restricted access and tracking. Anything to stem the tide of meth lab houses, which are so so so dangerous for neighbors, kids, law enforcement and drug users. Many OTC Meds now have versions without the meth component drugs that are available without restriction in states like mine with a strict law.

[MaiseyDog]

It's been in the news here in TN that they're trying to pass a law to require a prescription to buy the cold/allergy treatments used to make meth. That will be a major PAIN for a lot of people, but I'd support it.

MS passed a similar law back in the summer. All products with pseudoephedrine now require a prescription. Phenylephrine is still available over the counter. I get that it can be inconvinient but for the amount how good it does for society as a whole, I'll take it.

[secchick]

MS passed a similar law back in the summer. All products with pseudo ephedrine now require a prescription. Phenylephrine is still available over the counter. I get that it can be inconvinient but for the amount how good it does for society as a whole, I'll take it.

We have had to show ID for several years for pseudoephedrine purchases, and while inconvenient, I suppose I can get behind it. To me, Phenylephrine is a joke and does nothing for me at all.

Requiring a prescription, though, seems silly (and I am being kind in choosing that word). Especially since the vast majority of purchasers are legitimate. I would speculate that there is more trafficking and illegality associated with opiates obtained by prescription than pesudoephedrine behind the counter. What really gets me is the impact on healthcare costs. First, there is a national shortage of primary care providers to do this sort of thing, and then insurance/taxpayers/individuals with high deductible plans will have to cough up $65 each time for the privilige ot buying Sudafed? It's ridiculous. People who want to abuse a product will do so. Sure, NPs and some others might help ease the load, it is still an unnecessary burden and cost to our healthcare system.

[VClute]

Sorry had the wrong ingredient. Apparently teenagers are using dextromethorphan to get high. Therefore some stores/states have a policy not to sell cold medicines with it to people under 18. I think in VA it is a law.

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Yep, I bet it was this, not pseudephedrine. They call this "robotripping" because it started with chugging Robitussin. While I have no interest in getting high, I just LOVE this name for it! :)