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Controversial Cough & Cold Medicines Back on Ontario Grocery Shelves |
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Written by Staff
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Friday, 15 June 2007 |
The Ontario Superior Court has overruled a previous decision that forced grocers in that province to remove from their shelves all multi-ingredient ephedrine and pseudoephedrine products (common over-the-counter cough & cold products).
In 2006 the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) and the Ontario College of Pharmacists in an attempt to address the increasing problem of crystal methamphetamine abuse ruled that all pseudoephedrine cough/cold/allergy therapeutic medications should be available only in pharmacies and removed from sale in all other retail locations.
Crystal meth can be easily made using specific ingredients found in over-the-counter (OTC) cold and flu medications. Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) Vice President Gary Sands noted as he applauded the court's decision that within the time cold and flu products had been removed from shelves, "crystal meth labs in Ontario doubled in number last year".
Sands also said that the overturning of the rule is a significant win especially for rural communities in Ontario who depend on easy access to common OTC medications.
CFIG will be notifying other provinces in Canada of this court decision and encourage them to follow Ontario's example in placing these products back within easy access to all consumers.
In April, 2006 medications containing pure pseudoephedrine or ephedrine were removed from public access and placed behind the counters of pharmacies in some provinces. Other medicines and allergy tablets that contained even slight amounts of the two drugs were pulled from corner stores and gas stations in participating provinces. They were to be sold only at pharmacies, but were not kept behind the counter, according to an article by the CBC in 2006.
While the provinces of BC and Alberta rejected the plan, provinces that participated included Ontario, Nova Scotia and P.E.I.
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