The idea of states passing a bill to require prescriptions for medications such as Sudafed is absurd. From personal experience, I have always purchased Sudafed and have appreciated its ability to relieve my symptoms when suffering from the common cold.

The reasoning behind a bill that would require prescriptions for such medications is based on the main ingredient pseudoephedrine, which is used to make methamphetamine (also known as meth).

Oregon and Mississippi already have such laws on the books, and something similar is currently being proposed in Missouri.

But these laws are not needed. There are other procedures that can be used to prevent buying the product for illegal purposes.

I also do not think the distribution of Sudafed in stores is such a big problem that a law is needed to ensure the product is being used legally.

Pseudoephedrine is found in many popular over-the-counter drugs such as Sudafed, Dimetapp Decongestant, Pediacare Decongestant Infants, Simply Stuffy, 12 Hour Cold Maximum Strength, and other products used to treat the common cold. The main purpose of pseudoephedrine is to relieve nasal and sinus congestion as well as other respiratory allergies, as stated on drugs.com.

If a bill is passed requiring prescriptions for drugs that contain pseudoephedrine, it will greatly affect consumers’ wallets. People would have to pay a co-pay along with a doctor’s fee just to get a little piece of paper that gives them permission to buy Sudafed. It is a waste of time and money.

The common cold gets its name for obvious reasons: because it is common and unavoidable. Therefore it shouldn’t be required to pay for a doctor visit every time you get a cold because, ultimately, when you’re paying maybe $50 to go to the doctor, you could really be spending only $10 to go to the store and buy medicine.

I don’t think the availability of Sudafed in stores increases the meth problem in the United States. Yes, it is possible to create meth from pseudoephedrine, but there are other ways to prevent using the product in an illegal manner.

According to an article in The New York Times, in areas of the South and Midwest, certain restrictions apply in an attempt to control meth production.

These restrictions include actions such as keeping a log of all sales, setting limits on the amount of the product that can be purchased during a weekly and monthly period and requiring pharmacies to keep all pseudoephedrine drugs behind the counter.

I think these restrictions are good ways of regulating the use of products such as Sudafed without having to prohibit customers from buying them over-the-counter.

Pseudoephedrine is a good ingredient that helps relieve symptoms of the common cold. Although it has been abused by some, people should not have to pay the consequences by having to make a doctor’s appointment every time they catch a cold.