Poplar Bluff City Council considers requiring prescriptions for pseudoephedrine purchases

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A request by police chief Danny Whiteley to adopt an ordinance requiring the sale of products containing pseudoephedrine by prescription only was moved by the Poplar Bluff City Council to its Dec. 21 voting session.

Whiteley told council members Monday night the proposed ordinance is based on one enacted July 6 in Washington, Mo.

"This will give our city another tool to fight the ongoing battle against methamphetamine in Poplar Bluff and Butler County. We are all aware of the destructive nature it has on society, families and our children," Whiteley said. "Adopting this ordinance would be a significant step in thwarting the individuals who manufacture methamphetamine in our area."

Whiteley said the Missouri Police Chiefs Association will endorse this type of legislation Thursday. It has been endorsed by prosecuting attorneys in 95 of the state's 115 counties, including Kevin Barbour in Butler County. Locally, adoption of the ordinance is supported by 13 of the 14 pharmacists in Poplar Bluff, Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs, the SEMO Drug Task Force, Dr. Chris Montgomery, Dr. Dorothy Munch and Dr. Darwin L. Davis.

Sgt. Mark McClendon, a narcotics investigator for the Missouri State Highway Patrol and a member of the SEMO Drug Task Force, said meth arrests are "six times more this year" and meth manufacturing "has tripled."

"People are going from town to town to purchase pseudoephedrine," McClendon said. "Poplar Bluff police made seven arrests over the weekend."

Councilman Robert Smith expressed concern about a working man having to obtain a prescription to buy cold medicine.

Currently, pharmacists are required by a federal law to obtain the name, address and driver's license number of everyone who purchases a product containing pseudoephedrine and to record the date and time. Narcotics investigators in the Poplar Bluff Police Department check the purchases and issue a "do not sell list" to the pharmacies so they won't sell pseudoephedrine to people who make repeated purchases.

"It will be easier for a patient to use a prescription, and it will be a lot more confidential," pharmacist Marty Michel said.

He noted one pharmacy does not use the "do not sell" list and is selling four times the amount of pseudoephedrine products they had been selling.

Dr. Chris Montgomery said the proposed ordinance will be "good for the safety of the community."

"If people are sick enough to need pseudoephedrine, they need to see a medical professional," Montgomery said.

He emphasized the manufacture and use of meth is "spreading like a wildfire."

Pharmacist David Farris said people are coming to Poplar Bluff from other states to purchase pseudoephedrine. He expressed concern for the safety of drugstore employees due to "a big shootout at a pharmacy in Oklahoma last week."

"We are tired of dealing with people coming to Poplar Bluff to buy this stuff. We want to put an end to it," Farris said.

Robin Robertson, president of the Southeast Missouri Pharmacy Association, said he was "almost killed by two unsavory subjects" who wanted to purchase pseudoephedrine while he was working in Florida.

"They are scary people. I am afraid something is going to happen here," Robertson said.

Sheriff Dobbs said the council needs to give "serious consideration to passing the ordinance for the good of the community."

Mayor Loyd Matthews thanked all those who participated in the presentation and said the council needs to consider what is good for the most people.