NACDS applauds Senate bill to curb illegal meth production
ALEXANDRIA, Va. Acting to halt the illegal production and abuse of methamphetamines, the Senate has passed new legislation to strengthen the ability of law enforcement and pharmacy operators to combat the problem.
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores today praised passage of the bill, known as the Methamphetamine Production Prevention Act. If signed into law, the proposal would spur the adoption of methamphetamine precursor electronic logbook systems, thus providing law enforcement with easier access to information and streamlining recordkeeping requirements for pharmacies.
“The chain pharmacy industry recognizes the importance of addressing the serious methamphetamine problem,” noted NACDS Thursday. “In fact, prior to the introduction of state and federal legislation, the majority of chain pharmacies took voluntary, proactive steps to reduce the theft and illegitimate use of legitimate products that contain methamphetamine precursors, that is, products containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine. Pharmacies took these steps despite the possibility that instituting barriers could lead to consumer complaints and reduced sales.”
In July, NACDS sent a letter to Senate majority whip Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), thanking them for introducing the bill and urging quick Senate action.
“We greatly appreciate your willingness to engage us throughout the drafting process,” NACDS president and CEO Steven Anderson told the lawmakers. “We commend you for developing strong legislation that will assist retailers and law enforcement to combat the serious problem of illicit methamphetamine production and abuse.”
NACDS also applauded original cosponsors Senators Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Joe Biden (D-DE) for their support of S. 1276.
“Senate passage of this legislation sends an important message that preventing the illegal production and abuse of methamphetamine is imperative to our nation’s well being,” said Anderson. “S. 1276 will help law enforcement efforts, while also allowing increased efficiency in logging meth precursor sales. We encourage the House to join the Senate in passing this legislation so that it can be enacted into law.”