(KFVS) - It's a bill that could mean anybody could walk into a Missouri pharmacy and ask for drugs like Sudafed without a prescription.
If House Bill 1328 passes, it would most likely override ordinances passed in southeast Missouri communities outlawing the sale of pseudoephedrine without a prescription.
Pharmacists have been the first to sound off about the bill saying it sounds good, but is not.
"We don't need that bill," said Mike Tullis, a Sikeston pharmacist.
He and customers at his pharmacy say prescription only ordinances changed the face of their drug stores.
"They were scary," said Peggy Lewis of Sikeston. "A lot of meth cookers were always around trying to buy what they needed."
Tullis agrees the days before the ordinance were not as peaceful. Tullis says he had to call the police over several times a day and feared for the safety of his workers.
He says he had to play pharmacist and cop.
"We constantly had a steady stream of people. They'd get upset if you told them no. Some of the people were legit but a lot were not," said Tullis.
Now Tullis and others fear if House Bill 1328 passes, days will return when they had to constantly work to maintain security and make tough decisions about who they should sell to.
"We'd be right back where we started," said Tullis. "Everything got better when the ordinance went in."
Opponents of 1328 sponsored by Representative Stanley Cox say the bill has a lot of good points, until you read the fine print.
Kevin Glaser of the Drug Task Force says his eyes widened when he read these words in section 8: "This section shall supersede and preempt any local ordinance or regulations." Words that would indeed mean the ordinances in southeast Missouri would disappear.
"They are basically ignoring all the work we have done in our communities," said Glaser. "This bill would not do anything to fight meth."
Heartland News spoke with Representative Cox. He says the language does mean 1328 would override our prescription ordinances. In fact, he says he is against prescription only laws.
He says the bill could come up in the house at anytime. For him, he says he wants to give the good people the opportunity to purchase the kind of medicine they want. Cox also says the bill includes tough penalties for those who are convicted. He feels the regulations outlined in the bill are quite strict.
We asked people for their opinion on the bill.
"We have to look at the world we live in now," said Monica Burnett. "I think we need to keep it behind the counter. But it would be nice to be able to buy it without a prescription. If you want those drugs you would not have the added cost of going to the doctor."
"I think they need to keep it regulated with prescription only ordinances," said Peggy Lewis. "We have a real problem here."
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