West Virginia Considering Legislation to Make PSE Prescription-Only

Aimed to reduce the illegal manufacture and abuse of methamphetamine, a bill that would make pseudoephedrine (PSE) medications available by prescription only has passed the West Virginia Senate. Senate Bill 6 (PDF) would prohibit the sale, transfer, or dispensing of PSE without a prescription, with the exception of drug products that the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy determines are “not feasible for being used for the manufacture of methamphetamine.” Individuals convicted of knowingly possessing, delivering, or possessing with intent to deliver PSE without a prescription would be guilty of a misdemeanor, and would face a jail sentence of up to one year, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Oregon and Mississippi are currently the only two states that have enacted legislation requiring a prescription for PSE, indicates Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PDF).