In its response to the MHRA the NPA has supported the proposal to make products containing more than 720mg of pseudoephedrine or 180mg ephedrine prescription only.  The NPA has demonstrated its support for the MHRA proposals with an ongoing package of measures including a training programme, which is available free of charge to NPA members, and an awareness campaign. 

However the NPA totally opposes any move to make the supply of more than 720mg of pseudoephedrine or 180mg of ephedrine in one transaction illegal.  The NPA believes it is vital that pharmacists are able to retain the flexibility to use their professional discretion in the supply of more than one pack of these products in certain circumstances where there is a genuine clinical need to do so.   For example, an adult may need to purchase a medicine containing pseudoephedrine for their own use and a paediatric product for their child at the same time or a patient may wish to purchase separate products for daytime and nighttime use.  The result of the MHRA proposal would be that a sale in these circumstances to a genuine purchaser would be illegal and pharmacists would be committing a criminal offence.

Colette McCreedy, NPA Director of Practice, said: “Restricting sales of all types of medicine containing pseudoephedrine to one packet per transaction will cause widespread confusion to patients and may result in them being unable to purchase the medicines that they and their families genuinely need.  We are concerned that under these proposals pharmacists may be prosecuted if they, or their staff, inadvertently supply more than one pack of these products in one transaction.  We believe that it is unacceptable for the legislation to seek to criminalise the profession rather than the people who purchase these products for the manufacture of illegal drugs.” 

In addition although we support the proposals for pack sizes of products containing morethan 720mg of pseudoephedrine and 180mg of ephedrine to be classified as prescription only medicines we believe that the transition period should be extended to September 2008 so that sufficient time is allowed for pharmacists to sell through their existing stocks to avoid unacceptable costs for pharmacies and manufacturers.”